Altercations
by Neurotica
Summary: Complete. AU. Truths Universe. Sequel to Consequences. The second war continues. The lengths Voldemort will go to in order to win become evident. Darkness, tragedy, and possession are inevitable. Warning for strong language in some chapters. Pre-DH.
1. One

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters or situations you recognize in this story. They belong to JK Rowling.**

**

* * *

**_**Altercations **_

By Neurotica

_One_

The wizarding world was in a constant state of panic these days. Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters' reign of terror continued to worsen as the weeks went on, and many were losing hope of seeing an end to the darkness that had overtaken their world. The death toll had risen to great numbers after the most recent massacre at St. Mungo's Hospital. Families searched for their missing loved ones, hoping they would come home alive, but knowing they probably wouldn't. Azkaban Prison, once full of dark, evil wizards, was now mostly empty. Only twenty prisoners filled the cells guarded, not by dementors as they once were, but by members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Perhaps the most surprising ward of Azkaban was nineteen-year-old Percy Weasley. Unbeknownst to him, until a few days after his arrest, Percy had been a tool for the dark side since the young age of five. Peter Pettigrew, known also as Wormtail, had taken shelter with Percy's family after framing Sirius Black for the murders of twelve Muggles and then faking his own death. For five years, Percy had kept Wormtail alive and safe until one day, when the rat decided to take matters into his own hands.

Wormtail, although he had not meant it to be so, had been partly responsible for the first fall of Lord Voldemort. One-year-old Harry Potter had, of course, been the one to relieve the wizarding world of their ten year nightmare, but if it hadn't been for Wormtail telling his master where to find Harry and his parents, the Dark Lord would never have lost power. To make up for his mistake, Wormtail had formed a plan to seek out the now five-year-old savior of the wizarding world, and take the boy to Lucius Malfoy in hopes of getting in with the Death Eaters once more. He failed several times, until one full moon in August of 1986. Harry and his godfather, Sirius Black, had been staying at Hogwarts that night. It was by mere chance and luck on Wormtail's part that Harry wandered out of the castle and into his awaiting hands. The plan to bring Lord Voldemort pack into power was foiled, however, by Sirius Black's risky use of a well-placed Reductor Curse, and Wormtail had received the Dementor's Kiss for his crimes later in the week. He would have been better off staying with the Weasleys...

Strangely enough, it was because of Wormtail that Harry Potter was being raised by his godfather and Sirius' best friend and brother, Remus Lupin. This small family had faced tragedy many times since its formation. It had witnessed misery and depression head on, facing their darkest hours as one. The three wizards, though they loved each other more than anything, had their share of fights and arguments, just like any normal family. They'd nearly been torn apart many times by Voldemort—from Sirius' numerous near-death experiences, to Remus' disappearance for three months, to Harry's habit of finding trouble no matter the circumstances, trouble was in no short order. The three of them were no strangers to death and betrayal either—Harry's parents, Sirius and Remus' best friends, had been murdered by Voldemort, as had Sirius' longtime girlfriend, Julia Sedler, and later, Hestia Jones. Peter Pettigrew had joined Voldemort, betraying his friends a year before the Dark Lord's fall, as had Remus' former fiancée, Naomi Watts. Sirius' second-in-command in the Auror squad, Kingsley Shacklebolt, had been ambushed and murdered in his home. James Potter's parents and Remus' parents had been murdered by Death Eaters. The list goes on. The point is, this small family, regardless of everything they'd gone through together, stood together, fought together, and all for one another. There were times when one of them would feel their hope of the war ever ending begin to fade, but the other two were always there to lift his spirits, to remind him what they were fighting and what was at stake if they lost.

Nothing could rip them apart, though Voldemort was trying his damn best.

Our story picks up just where it left off: Lord Voldemort has broken through Harry's mind's barriers, possessed him, and turned him against his godfather. If it hadn't been for Remus' quick action, another death would have been added to the already too long list. Harry had been stunned by his surrogate godfather and had fallen to the floor, his wand rolling somewhere under the bed, though no one was really paying much attention to it. Sirius was in a very understandable state of shock. He stared from the unconscious form of his godson to his best friend, still holding a wand in his shaking hand, to Remus' girlfriend, Emmeline, who floated Harry onto the bed.

"Remus," Sirius said hoarsely, unsure of what to do. "His eyes... It was just what Dumbledore told us years ago... There was red... And his voice... Remus, that was Voldemort; I'd bet my life on it..."

Remus gulped. "That may not be such a good idea at the moment, Sirius," he said quietly. "Are you all right?"

"Oh, just brilliant," Sirius said sarcastically. "My godson nearly murdered me, so how about we go out and have a few drinks?"

"There's really no need for that, Sirius," Remus said, trying to sound stern, though his voice wavered unsteadily. "We need to contact Dumbledore—he'll want to know about this, and if we hurry, we may catch him before he leaves for Number Twelve."

"I'll go," Emmeline said immediately. "You stay with Harry. Sirius, do you need anything?"

Sirius shook his head numbly and Emmeline left the room. The two wizards stared at one another at a loss for words. After everything they'd been through in ten years, this had to be the worst. A year ago, Remus said Harry being possessed was a situation they may have to one day face, but at that time, he'd only said it to convince Sirius that the boy needed to learn Occlumency and that it shouldn't matter who taught him. He'd never really believed Harry would be possessed; Mad-Eye Moody regularly bragged about Harry's ability to throw off the Imperius Curse. Harry was a very capable wizard, and was growing stronger as the years went on; it wasn't impossible for him to resist possession, but of course, Voldemort was stronger than anyone could possibly imagine. He'd gained the powers of both Lily and James Potter during his rebirthing at Godric's Hollow two years ago, and what the world had seen so far was only the beginning of the Dark Lord's newfound powers.

But how long had Harry been possessed? It could have been only minutes or it could have been as long as three days. Remus thought three days made sense; that was when they started noticing Harry looking more distant. They thought he'd just been sick, though—how had they not realized what was really happening? Maybe Voldemort had hidden himself deep in Harry's mind to allow the boy to keep up his normal façade in front of his family. But even Emmeline, who'd given Harry intense Occlumency lessons the night before, hadn't realized something was wrong with Harry. If Remus had been a more cynical and untrusting man, he'd wonder if Emmeline had intentionally ignored Voldemort's presence in Harry's mind. But Remus had seen what had happened during the Occlumency session: Harry's mind's barriers had been so strong that Emmeline had been thrown against the wall behind her.

Now the question was not how it had happened, but if Voldemort was still in Harry's mind, and if he wasn't, would Harry remember anything that had occurred in the last half hour with his godfather?

"Dumbledore's on his way," Emmeline said softly, reentering the room.

Remus started, only now realizing he'd seated himself at Sirius' desk at some point during the witch's absence. "Thank you," he muttered automatically. Emmeline smiled slightly.

"What should we do now?" Sirius asked, looking as confused as Remus felt.

Remus shrugged. "Just wait, I suppose." He sighed. "I don't think we should wake him until Dumbledore's here. If Voldemort was possessing Harry, and he's still in there somewhere, Dumbledore will know how to get rid of him. I wouldn't know where to begin."

"This is all my fault," Emmeline said suddenly, staring miserably at Harry from the wall she'd leaned against. The wizards stared at her questioningly. "Last night, during his Occlumency lesson... He's never been that good. Hell, I'm not even good enough to throw somebody across a room. I should have known something was wrong."

Remus shook his head. "This isn't your fault. You weren't the only one who didn't catch anything. Sirius and I were here too, and we've known Harry far longer than you. If anyone should have known something was wrong, it should have been one of us."

"Yes, but I'm supposed to be teaching him to avoid something like this from happening," Emmeline said, completely disgusted with herself. "Maybe if I'd worked harder with him..."

"None of us could have prevented this from happening, Emmeline," Dumbledore's voice said from the door, startling the other three. "Occlumency was merely a precaution to keep this from happening sooner. The original idea was to keep Lord Voldemort from gaining access to the contents of the prophecy. There are many backdoors into the human mind, as I taught you when you were learning Occlumency, Emmeline. Voldemort would have found a way into Harry's mind one way or another."

"Do you think he knows about the prophecy, Albus?" Sirius asked, horrified by the very thought of Voldemort finding out the exact wording of the prophecy made about him and Harry.

Dumbledore sighed. "It is possible, of course, and something we will need to inquire about from one of our own spies. If he does know of the prophecy—well, not much will have changed; he will still want Harry destroyed, just has he has wanted since Harry was merely an infant."

While his guardians pondered just how much damage had been done in the last few days, Dumbledore examined the boy, first by lifting his eyelids and examining his eyes. Remus only now realized Harry wasn't wearing his trademark round-framed glasses. Apparently, Sirius was realizing that as well; he was shaking his head, as if he knew he should have realized something was amiss immediately.

Dumbledore nodded, whether in satisfaction or confirmation of an idea, Remus wasn't sure. He continued to watch closely as Dumbledore removed his wand from his yellow robes. The Headmaster waved the wooden stick over Harry, rapidly murmuring an incantation in ancient Latin. Remus blinked hard, rubbed at his eyes, and shook his head as if to clear it as something rose from Harry's body. At first it looked like white smoke, but congealed to form an exact replica of Harry. The smoke-Harry hovered just inches over the real Harry for a few seconds, and then merged with Harry's body again.

"His soul," Dumbledore said softly, answering their unasked question. "I wanted to be sure it had not been tampered with."

_The man never ceases to amaze me,_ Remus thought in awe. _Once I think I've seen everything he can do, he goes and pulls another trick out of his hat. _

Next, Dumbledore closed his eyes and placed his long, bony index fingers on either side of Harry's head, just above his temples. Again, he muttered in ancient Latin, but this time there were no physical results. Five minutes later, the Headmaster removed his fingers from Harry's head, stepped back, and nodded. "Voldemort was present in Harry's mind for three to four days, I suspect. I do not sense any lasting effects on Harry, though I do recommend telling him about this as soon as possible. Sirius, did Harry have an injury to his head today, by any chance?"

Sirius nodded stiffly. "Bludger hit him today while we were at the Burrow. He fell off his broom and hit his head on the ground."

"Well, he was lucky to have survived a fall of that nature," Dumbledore said. "Harry should be fine once he wakes. I do not think Voldemort will attempt this again anytime in the near future."

"Why do you think that, sir?" Emmeline asked quietly, now standing behind Remus with her hands on his shoulders.

Dumbledore turned to her. "I'm sure you've realized, Emmeline, being his Occlumency instructor, that Harry's mind is unusually strong." Emmeline nodded. "I believe it took so long for Voldemort to act through Harry because Harry was trying to fight what was happening to him. This sort of struggle will have had exhausting effects on Voldemort's body and mind, as well as Harry's. It is a risk for Voldemort to attempt to possess Harry again so soon after the first time."

"Why didn't we notice anything?" Remus asked. "Or better yet, why didn't Harry tell us something was going on?"

"Possession is one of the darkest activities known, Remus. One of its side effects is memory loss on the subject's part. Harry may not have known he was being possessed. The times Voldemort was present in his mind would seem like nothing more than blank interval of time."

"But if Harry was fighting it..." Sirius began.

"He still would not have known," Dumbledore finished for him. "With Voldemort in his mind, it was as if Harry was in a separate place altogether. He was there, but pushed very far back while Voldemort dominated. Harry would have tried to fight his way forward, but Voldemort is a very powerful Legilimens."

"So he really had no chance," Remus said quietly. "Harry's just a sitting duck for Voldemort, isn't he?"

Sirius frowned at the Muggle phrase, but didn't ask his usual questions.

"As I said before, Remus," Dumbledore said. "Emmeline's teaching him Occlumency has helped him a great deal. Without it, Harry would not have been able to fight at all. And I would rather not imagine what could have happened if Voldemort had gained control of Harry before this evening."

* * *

Nymphadora Tonks Apparated into the backyard of her parents' home just outside London. She was still rather upset after her day at work—finding that Dawlish, who'd temporarily replaced Sirius as Head Auror, was meeting with Rufus Scrimgeour, the Auror from Australia who Sirius had been so against bringing back to the British Ministry. Tonks knew Minister Bones wasn't too fond of Scrimgeour, either, but couldn't understand why the Minister would agree to allow the wizard to come back.

_Maybe someone's got her under Imperius,_ Tonks thought. _No, that can't be possible; Dumbledore meets with her just about every other day, and he would know if that was going on. Maybe she's just lost her bloody mind..._

Sirius had only been gone from the Ministry a month and it already seemed like a lifetime. Tonks just hoped her cousin didn't return to find his Aurors in complete disarray. He'd worked hard to have them trained just right and to work as a team. The Aurors under Sirius' command were much like a family—some of them, like Dawlish, played the parts of the family members whom the others wanted to disown. There'd been times since Tonks first entered the Ministry that she'd seen Sirius or Kingsley itching to ring Dawlish's neck for something. It was understandable; Dawlish didn't like to follow Sirius' orders, he thought they were unorthodox and downright dangerous. But Sirius never put his Aurors into any more danger than they were already in with their jobs. The only Auror ever to have been killed under Sirius' command was Jason Evans, when a giant in London had knocked over a lamppost on the unsuspecting wizard.

"Hey, Mum," Tonks muttered, entering through the backdoor. Her mother was at the stove, taking a roast out of the oven for dinner. "Smells great. Where's Dad?"

"Hello, dear," Andromeda Tonks said. "Your father is in the living room reading the paper. How was your day?"

Tonks shrugged and took a butterbeer from the fridge before sitting at the table. "Not bad. Remus and Emmeline came in to update me on Sirius. He's doing all right, just trying to adjust to not using magic."

Andromeda sighed. "It's just horrible. Sirius is a magnificent wizard—has been since he was a boy. He's probably having a rather rough time, especially with Harry home. You know how protective Sirius is of that boy... If something happened to Harry, and Sirius was helpless to do anything... well, you can imagine how that would affect him."

Tonks nodded, sipping her butterbeer. "I think Remus and Emmeline are taking turns staying with them during the day. Harry's got his wand and the Minister's permission to use defensive magic, but I don't think Harry's ever been up against Death Eaters on his own."

"Well, with all those wards and charms around their home, Sirius and Harry would have plenty of time to get out safely. Your father told Sirius that he and Harry are welcome here if need be, and there's always Hogwarts, of course."

The doorbell rang, and Tonks' dad called, "I'll get it!" from the front room.

"I honestly can't see Sirius running if Death Eaters invaded their place, whether he had magic or not. He'd probably send Harry on, and fight them on his own," Tonks said. "Kingsley told me once that Sirius was well-trained in Muggle fighting techniques."

Andromeda smirked. "He can thank your father for that." Tonks raised an eyebrow. "The summer before Sirius' fourth year at Hogwarts, he spent a few weeks with your father and me at our old cabin by the sea. Sirius and your dad spent most of their days out back—your dad teaching Sirius karate and boxing, and things like that."

"Hmm," Tonks said, impressed. "I didn't know Dad knew karate..."

"Nymphadora!" Ted called from the hallway. "You've got company!"

Tonks rolled her eyes at the use of her first name, earning a scowl from her mother. She'd never approved of her daughter going by her surname alone; she thought it to be an insult. "Coming, Dad!" Tonks called back. She drained the contents of her butterbeer and stood, moving quickly down the hall to the door. Her foot caught on the rug in the hall and she cursed, grabbing the closet doorknob to catch her balance.

"Language, dear," Ted said, amused.

Tonks glared at her dad and raised an eyebrow at her guest.

"Charlie. What are you doing here?"

Charlie Weasley smiled, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "I've been asked to relay a message to you, and I wasn't allowed to pass it on by Floo or owl, so I had to come over."

Tonks looked at her dad. "Do you think you could give us a minute?" she asked, trying to remain polite, even though Ted was looking between her and Charlie with a very annoying look on his face.

"Oh, of course, dear. I'll just be in the kitchen with your mother, then..."

Tonks rolled her eyes as her dad winked at Charlie and went down the hall.

"So what's up, Charlie?"

"Change of plans for the Order meeting tonight," the wizard said in a low voice, moving closer to Tonks so she could hear him. "I'm not exactly sure why, but it's been moved to Sirius and Remus' place. My dad thinks something may have happened over there—Dumbledore wasn't saying anything, though."

Tonks frowned. "Is everybody okay?"

Charlie shrugged. "I don't know. I would think Dumbledore would have said if someone was hurt... I know Harry had a Quidditch accident at my parents' place today, but I don't see why that would warrant a change of venue for the meeting."

"Hmm..." Tonks said thoughtfully. "I guess we'll find out later, eh? Listen, since you're here, you want to stay for dinner? Mum's just finished, I think."

"Ah, another time, maybe," Charlie said regretfully with a smile. "My mum's expecting me at the Burrow for dinner before the meeting. Thanks for the offer, though."

"Yeah, anytime. Alright, I guess I'll see you in a few hours."

"Definitely," Charlie said, smiling.

"And thanks for coming over."

"Not a problem. See you, Tonks."

"See you."

* * *

Sirius and Remus stood side-by-side against the wall of Harry's bedroom as Emmeline floated the boy back into his own bed. Dumbledore entered a moment later and glanced at the wizards. He wanted to wake Harry before the Order meeting that night to see if the boy would remember anything. The Headmaster seemed to think Voldemort might have left traces of his memory in Harry's mind that could be useful to the Order.

Sirius was growing quite sick of seeing his godson used as a tool between Voldemort and Dumbledore. Harry was only a kid, no matter what he'd been through in his sixteen years of life, but he was being treated as a grown wizard at times. If it kept up, Sirius would argue to get Harry inducted into the Order. Remus wouldn't like the idea, of course, but Harry'd dealt with a lot more than most of the Order, and if he was going to be used to end the war, he deserved to know what was happening.

Sirius' jaw clenched as Dumbledore muttered, "_Ennervate_." No matter what Dumbledore said about Voldemort being gone from Harry's mind, Sirius wouldn't soon forget what he'd seen in his godson's eyes. Not many things could honestly disturb the Auror, but hearing that cold, high-pitched voice coming from Harry's mouth, and seeing that evil gleam in his eyes definitely did the job.

Harry's eyes snapped open and he blinked a few times before groaning and grabbing the back of his head. _Probably from the concussion_, Sirius thought distantly, watching the boy closely.

Slowly, Harry lifted his head and frowned as he spotted the four adults surrounding his bed. "Hello," he said slowly and hoarsely. "What's going on?"

Dumbledore's face remained impassive. "How are you feeling, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "I could use a headache potion if we've got any..."

"In a moment," Dumbledore said quietly. "First, I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"Okay..."

"What do you recall of the last three days, Harry? Think hard..."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the question, and then furrowed his brow in thought. "Not much, really. I remember dinner last night—Sirius and I kept flicking peas at each other, and Sirius got one into Remus' butterbeer..."

Sirius bit his lip, trying not to laugh. Now really wasn't the time, and Remus hadn't been too amused about the incident...

"Do you remember anything else?" Dumbledore pressed. "Do you remember your Occlumency lesson with Emmeline last night?"

"I didn't have an Occlumency lesson last night..." Harry said slowly.

Sirius, Remus, and Emmeline looked at each other with their own raised eyebrows. The lesson had lasted almost an hour because Emmeline thought Harry was getting sick and she wanted to make sure his mind was well-guarded. Apparently, he'd been too well-guarded...

"You did have a lesson last night, Harry, and from what I understand, it ended with you throwing Emmeline so forcefully from your mind that she was thrown against a wall."

Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise and he snapped his head around to Emmeline. "Oh god... I'm sorry..." he said hastily. "Honestly, I don't remember that at all."

"It's okay, Harry, no harm done," Emmeline said quietly.

Dumbledore sighed. "Well, I think that will be all for now. Perhaps you'd like that headache potion now and maybe a Sleeping Draught, Harry?'

Harry looked rather shaken. "Er, yeah, sure..."

Emmeline and Dumbledore left the room to gather the potions, and Sirius and Remus remained standing against the wall. Harry tried to make eye contact with his godfather, but the older wizard kept his eyes averted—he was afraid he'd see the flash of red again.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" Harry pleaded to his guardians. "Why can't I remember anything? What happened with Emmeline?'

Remus sighed heavily. "Harry... Do you remember why you started taking Occlumency lessons in the first place?''

"Yeah, so Voldemort wouldn't find out about the prophecy..."

"That's part of the reason, yes, but there was another reason. A reason that, until today, I never thought would actually happen. I don't know if you know this, but one of Voldemort's powers is human possession. It's something not many can do, and I don't even think it's been done for many years." Remus sighed again. Sirius didn't blame him for being nervous; he was. "Harry, Voldemort possessed you today, and we think he's been possessing you for the last three days. For some reason, he could only act through you this afternoon."

Harry paled. "What? D-did I do anything?" he asked as if he really didn't want to know.

"Nearly," Remus said hoarsely. "Emmeline and I returned home just in time, and Harry, please remember, this wasn't your fault—"

"What did I do?" Harry demanded.

Remus glanced at Sirius out of the corner of his eye—Sirius nodded, still staring at the floor. "You nearly used the Killing Curse against Sirius."


	2. Two

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Two_

"_Face it, Sirius, you're useless," the voice was saying. Sirius could hear the laughter in the voice, even if the source was hidden in the shadows. "You've never done anything that's worth a damn. Oh sure, you've captured a few worthless Death Eaters, but what about the ones you _really_ want to get? They're still free to do as they please. You know, at this rate, I'll bet you, Remus and Harry will all be dead within six months..."_

_The voice had been taunting him for what seemed like hours—he honestly had no idea how long it'd been. All he really knew was that every time he got closer to the voice, it seemed to move further into the shadows._

"_You're the reason everyone you love is dead, Sirius," the voice continued. "Julia, Hestia, Kingsley, Lily... _me..._ Voldemort got us all and it's all because we were connected with you. I've had to watch my son grow up, tortured by Wormtail, Malfoy, dreams of Voldemort, and there hasn't been anything I could do to help him—"_

"_I've been helping him!" Sirius yelled in frustration, trying to squint into the darkness to see the source of the voice. A light fell where he stood, like a spotlight, but everything around him was nothing more than a black abyss. "Remus has been helping him..."_

"_Yeah, but look at everything that's happened to Remus. He was stuck in France for three months. Going through absolute hell, and you were back at home, wallowing in self pity, and trying to make the moves on his girl—"_

"_That's not true!" Sirius screamed, his voice echoing into nothingness. "I've never tried to go after Emmeline! I always knew she was Remus'!"_

"_But what about the time you kissed Lily in fourth year? You knew she was mine, then..."_

"_That was different and you know it," Sirius growled. "It wasn't even that much of a kiss, and she slapped me afterwards."_

_Finally, James moved out of the shadows and into the small amount of light of wherever it was they were. Sirius wished he'd go back into the shadows. This wasn't James. This wasn't his best friend, his brother, his Prongs. This was something evil and horrible... This was a monster incarnation of James Potter. "I don't know why I spent so much time with you, idolizing you, wanting to be like you. All you ever were was a problem, and now you're a danger to everyone you supposedly love. Who needs someone around who can't even help fight? Who wants someone around who's a liability? I've told you before, _Padfoot_," he spat the nickname, "if it wasn't for you, we'd all be alive and happy."_

"_No..." Sirius said, shaking his head. James walked closer and Sirius tried to back away—he had a feeling he knew what was coming. "No, you get away from me. You're not James..."_

_James laughed loudly, sending a cold chill down Sirius' spine. "Believe me old, dear friend, I am James. Why don't you just do everyone a favor and leave? Run away, Sirius; you know you want to. Oh yes, I know all about that..." he added as Sirius paled. "I know all about the nights you've laid awake in bed, wishing you could just leave England, leave the war and your family behind. You want to start a new life for yourself, don't you, Sirius? Go to America... Meet a nice girl... Maybe even have a few kids of your own. Because I know Harry just isn't enough. Oh, you love him enough, but it's not the same knowing he's someone else's son."_

"_Shut up," Sirius snarled. "You don't know what you're talking about. I love Harry more than I could if he was my own son."_

"_You say that now... But don't you remember that only a few hours ago he tried to kill you?"_

"_That wasn't Harry," Sirius said automatically. "That was Voldemort."_

"_And that's your excuse for everything!" James shouted. "_Voldemort_ killed my friends! _Voldemort_ poisoned Harry and had Remus tortured! Did you ever think, Sirius, that if you weren't around, none of this would have ever happened?" James moved closer, and Sirius felt as if he'd hit a brick wall behind him; though, when he looked over his shoulder nothing was there. He tried to turn his head away, trying to avoid the putrid smell of James' rotting breath, but for some reason, he couldn't—he and James had always been about the same height. "Get out of England, Sirius," James' voice said softly, only it wasn't James' voice anymore—it was the same voice he'd heard just before Harry raised his wand against him. "Get out, and your life will be spared. Otherwise," Sirius' own breathing increased as he saw a flash of red behind James' hazel eyes. "Otherwise, Black, you will meet the same fate as all of your loved ones…"_

"_No!" Sirius said forcefully. "I'm not leaving my family, and there's not a damn thing you can do to change my mind!"_

_James' face began to melt away into a flat, waxy mask with scarlet slits for eyes, and snake-like nostrils. His mouth formed into an evil grin—Sirius could see a few jagged teeth, as if the man had eaten too much raw meat, and had to use his teeth to tear through the flesh. "We'll see about that..." _

* * *

Sirius jolted awake, sweating profusely. He looked around wildly, not noticing the group of people that had congregated around him. Vaguely, he felt a hand on his arm and turned to his left, expecting to see Lord Voldemort again. But it was Remus looking up to him from his kneeling position on the floor. "Moony..." he breathed.

"Hey, Padfoot," Remus said quietly. "Are you all right?"

Sirius didn't answer immediately. He looked around the living room, glancing at all the concerned eyes that were fixed upon him. _Right, Order meeting tonight... Dumbledore moved it here so we could stay with Harry,_ he thought. _Must've fallen asleep, that's all..._ "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... just had a bad dream..."

The only people who didn't look convinced were Remus, Dumbledore, Emmeline, and to Sirius' slight surprise, Naomi.

_Dumbledore must've taken the charms down for her to get here..._ He wiped his hand across his forehead and averted his eyes from his friends'.

"Sorry for the interruption, Albus," he said hoarsely and a bit shakily. "Please, go on..."

Reluctantly, it seemed, Remus moved back to his spot on the sofa beside Emmeline, still watching his best friend very closely. Sirius leaned back into the cushion of his armchair and tuned out whatever it was Dumbledore was talking about. He knew he should be listening—they were probably discussing Harry—but his mind was stuck on the dream he'd just had. He assumed he'd just been through too much in the last few weeks, and his mind was overactive. He tried not to read too much into the dream; he'd tell Remus about it later, and let him analyze it to death.

This wasn't the first time Sirius had dreamt of James blaming him for the deaths of his friends. The worst dream he could remember ever having had occurred just after Harry had come to live with Sirius and Remus. Then James' face hadn't turned into Voldemort, but had completely decayed as James tried to strangle Sirius. For a few years following his Azkaban release, he'd had recurring dreams about Lily and James accusing him of stealing their son. Thankfully, the dreams stopped, and after that, the worst dreams Sirius had were about pranks gone horribly wrong.

He heard once that trauma and stress could cause nightmares. And if a person's godson nearly killing them wasn't traumatic and stressful, well then, what was, exactly?

Sirius thought briefly that perhaps Voldemort himself had planted the dream into his head. But Harry was the one with the direct connection with the Dark Lord, not him...

"Whatever you're suggesting, Mad-Eye," Remus was saying mildly as Sirius reentered reality. "I suggest you forget it right now. Harry's gone through enough already without others putting him through anymore."

"All I'm saying, Lupin, is that Potter is our direct link to You-Know-Who. If there's any way to turn the tables on him, we should use it," Mad-Eye said. Sirius raised an eyebrow, hoping for Mad-Eye's sake he wasn't suggesting what Sirius thought he was suggesting.

But Sirius didn't have a chance to find out for sure before Dumbledore intervened. "I do not believe, Alastor, that anything as drastic as that is necessary. We have other ways of gaining information than by forcing Harry to attempt something as dangerous as possessing Lord Voldemort."

Sirius snapped his head to Mad-Eye, half-tempted to punch his former mentor for even thinking something like that. Besides, Harry wasn't powerful or evil enough to possess even a gerbil, let alone a dark wizard like Voldemort. He was just a kid, regardless of how most of the Order thought of him. To them, Harry was a tool to be used at their leisure. Dumbledore had become more wary of using Harry, knowing how the boy's guardians would react. Sirius knew Dumbledore cared a lot for Harry, and he hoped Dumbledore's caring nature would keep the other, less-caring members of the Order from doing something stupid concerning his godson.

Dumbledore ended the discussion without a word—his talent of ordering people to do something without actually giving them an order was one of the things that made him great.

Naomi stood before the Order, glancing worriedly at Sirius from time to time, and began explaining Voldemort's next plan of attack. Sirius mentally shivered at the very mention of dementors—though he'd made impeccable progress, he still hadn't fully recovered from his time in Azkaban. This would definitely be one mission he'd be sitting out on—without any magical abilities, he'd return to the cottage without a soul, most likely. The date of the attack was unknown as of yet, but Dumbledore requested volunteers to stand by just in case. Hesitantly, a few members of the Order began raising their hands—Remus and Emmeline among them, much to Sirius' annoyance.

There were a few more items of discussion (a report from Arthur on an increase of Muggles being harmed by jinxed items; Dung's little drunken speech about how the wizard crooks were starting to be approached by Death Eaters—Dung had been approached just two days before; Tonks told them of Scrimgeour's appearance in the Ministry that day—Sirius desperately wanted to throw something against a wall, but Remus had moved all the breakables away from him) before the meeting ended.

Not many hung around that night—it was late, and many of them had to be into the Ministry early the next morning. Among those who stayed late were Molly, Arthur, Tonks, Mad-Eye, and Dumbledore. McGonagall had to return to the school to prepare for an excursion she'd be taking to Germany the next day. Her story was that she had a cousin out there, but Sirius thought it was more like attempting to gather contacts in other countries.

Remus and Emmeline went into the kitchen with the others, but Sirius remained behind. They'd probably still be discussing Harry, and he wasn't yet ready to participate in that conversation. He'd hoped the entire day, from Harry's getting hit by the bludger to the dream he'd had during the Order meeting, had all been just one big, long nightmare. He could still see Harry with that evil grin on his face—it'd been so out of place; Harry didn't have an evil bone in his body. Sirius had to remind himself continuously that it hadn't been Harry who'd raised that wand against him, but Voldemort using his godson's body and mind. Sirius would have to add this as another item on the ever-growing list of things to get revenge against the Dark Lord for...

"Are you all right?" asked a quiet voice Sirius had no trouble recognizing. He started a bit and turned to Naomi.

"I've definitely been better," he replied, his voice still annoyingly hoarse.

She nodded and looked into the kitchen where it seemed Remus and Mad-Eye were once again arguing. "You want to come outside for some fresh air?"

Sirius hesitated. It wouldn't be hard for Naomi to overpower him; she had a wand and he didn't. But somehow he knew she wouldn't try anything, and he'd stick close enough to the cottage just in case, anyway. "Yeah, sure, I could use some fresh air, actually..."

She smiled and led the way out onto the lawn where she sat against a large tree Sirius recalled her and Remus frequenting when they were together. _Old habits die hard, I suppose,_ he thought with a mental sigh before sitting beside her on the grass. For a while, they sat there in silence enjoying the cool breeze and the woods surrounding them.

Sirius' hostility towards Naomi had faded away months ago when they'd started talking late after Order meetings. Though it had taken a long time for him to buildup a sense of trust towards his old friend, Sirius found talking to her just as easy as it ever was. They usually discussed meaningless things—Quidditch, food, Muggle inventions—but occasionally they'd talk about Harry. Naomi had adored the baby boy when he'd been born. Though she wasn't officially named his godmother, she'd played the part well by spoiling him rotten.

One of the things she'd wanted most was a family of her own with Remus. Remus' condition had never been a factor with her, no matter how often he'd tried to convince her that the two of them having children would be a great risk. Remus had always wanted a family, his own children, but he was deathly afraid of infecting them with his curse. Sirius knew he'd never be able to live with himself if he somehow infected another human being—and if it was his own child, Sirius was willing to bet Remus would heavily consider suicide. But there were medical breakthroughs everyday, and maybe someday there would be a way to prevent the infection of Lycanthropy from being passed from parent to child through birth.

Sirius allowed himself a small smile at the thought of kids running around the cottage with Remus' sandy brown hair and Emmeline's warm brown eyes. Those would be some intelligent kids—their mother being a former Ravenclaw and their father being able to recite half the books in the Hogwarts library from memory. And of course, Sirius would be right there to spoil them rotten, ignoring all the rules set by their parents about limits on chocolate and other sweets, just like he had with Harry. After all, what good was it to have a godchild if you couldn't load them with sugar during the day and send them back to their unsuspecting parents to deal with the repercussions at night?

"So what were you dreaming about?" Naomi asked quietly, startling Sirius from his thoughts again. She chuckled. "A little jumpy tonight, aren't we?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and nudged her shoulder with his. He sighed. "At first, it was James," he began quietly, feeling Naomi's eyes boring into his head as he stared down at his hands. "He was accusing me of things I'd never do in my life. Then he started telling me I was useless, a liability to my family, and that if it hadn't been for me, he, Lily, and Julia never would have been killed. He told me to run away, get out of England, and I would be spared. I pretty much told him where he could stick his threats, and he turned into Voldemort. That's about when I woke up."

Naomi watched him thoughtfully for a moment. "You frighten him," she said clearly. Sirius looked up, startled. "No, really, you do. He knows you, Sirius. He knows what you're capable of, and that if things keep going the way they are with you, Remus, and Harry working together, he won't stand a chance in the end."

"How do you know that?" he asked skeptically.

She shrugged. "It's a mixture of things I've heard and feelings I've gotten from the Dark Lord—"

"I've asked you before not to call him the _Dark Lord_ around me. Around others, you can call him Lord Banana-Face for all I care—" Naomi burst out laughing at the absurdity of that statement. Sirius grinned. "But in my presence, call him by his proper name..."

After a few minutes, Naomi sobered up a bit. "And I've told _you_ it's not that easy."

"It used to be," Sirius countered. "You used to be able to say his name without any problem. Care to tell me how some tattoo can change that?"

She shrugged, torn between glaring at him and laughing. She settled on averting her eyes and running her hand across the grass. "A lot of things changed the night I became a Death Eater, Sirius," she explained softly. "Yes, I used to call him by his true name, and I honestly can't explain why that changed when I got the Dark Mark. Fear, maybe?" She sighed.

"Fear of a name only increases the fear of the thing itself," Sirius recited quietly.

Naomi snorted a laugh. "Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," she muttered, her lips twitching. "Fine, if you're going to be so bloody insistent on it... Lord Voldemort," she said firmly. She paused for a moment as if she expected something to happen, but sighed in relief seconds later. "Happy now?"

"Very. Was that so hard?" Sirius asked brightly.

Naomi rolled her eyes. "So how's it going around here without your magic to keep you sane? Not that you've really ever _been_ sane..."

Sirius chose to ignore her last comment. "It's getting better, I suppose. There are still days where I'll automatically reach for my wand, ready to cast a spell, and then realize I can't. But Remus and Emmeline have been really helpful."

"That's good," Naomi said a bit stiffly. Sirius assumed it was because of his mention of Remus' girlfriend. "Well, you'll be happy to know that I've been trying to find out what curse Malfoy used. Hopefully, once I've figure out what it is, Dumbledore can work on reversing it."

"And how close are you to finding out what it was?"

Naomi shrugged again. "Malfoy hasn't been too keen on me since he's been visiting his own place for the last few weeks, but I'm working on it."

"Working on it or working on _him_?"

Sirius saw Naomi stiffen a bit. "What d'you mean by that?" she asked uncomfortably.

"I don't know. I'm just trying to figure out how you're managing to get all this information from Malfoy, considering his past feelings for you were nothing short of disgust."

"Things change..." Naomi muttered.

Sirius raised an eyebrow, but decided not to press the subject any further that night. Whatever it was that was going on between her and Malfoy, she seemed right ashamed of it. Sirius had a theory on how Naomi was getting information, but he hoped, for Naomi's sake, he was wrong—not only was it completely wrong and disgusting to imagine, but... well, it was just very wrong and disgusting.

He heard a familiar flick and swish and saw the flicker of a flame out of the corner of his eye. He turned back to Naomi and could see a glowing red dot at the end of a lit cigarette. Again, he raised an eyebrow. "When did you start that?"

"A few months ago," she admitted as she exhaled the smoke.

"It's deadly, you know."

"So is spying on Lord Voldemort," she said flatly.

Sirius laughed. "Touché." He looked towards the cottage and saw the fireplace light up with emerald green flames. He'd never realized before how much the light of Flooing and the Killing Curse resembled one another. "Well, I guess I'd better get inside before Moony freaks out."

The two stood. "Yeah, you wouldn't want him to catch you talking to me... He'd probably curse me, thinking I'm brainwashing you or something."

"What, you mean you're not brainwashing me?"

Naomi glared at him, but her lips were twitching. "The last time I brainwashed anyone was second year when I had Peter thinking James and I were rulers of the universe."

Sirius grinned. "I still can't believe he actually believed that..."

"That was Peter," she said with a shrug. "He was always a naïve little git. Of course, Remus was always there to ruin the fun and tell him we were just full of ourselves."

"Something Remus still does to me on a daily basis, by the way."

Naomi smiled a bit sadly. "I just wish he didn't hate me, you know. I know I'll never have his friendship like I did when we were kids, but this whole ignoring my entire existence thing is rather depressing."

"He doesn't hate you, Naomi," Sirius said. She raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, he doesn't. Now, he's not exactly fond of you, but he definitely doesn't hate you. I don't think Remus could ever hate you unless you hurt me or Harry or Emmeline. And I know you and Emmeline were at each other's throats a while back, and I'm sure it was over Remus, but that's a conversation for another night..."

"What makes you think he doesn't hate me? As much as I don't want him to, I don't deserve any less after what I did to him."

"Well, I can't say I can argue with that logic, but I know Remus can't ever hate you because you were his first love, and first loves always leave some feelings deep down, regardless of how you left him. You were everything to him, and he was crushed when you left, but he got past that eventually. He never forgot you or what the two of you had or could have had, just like I could never forget Julia..." Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I know the circumstances are different, but it's the same idea. No matter what happens, a person can never completely get over their first true love. And Remus has only ever had two loves, and it's been so long since he's dated, so he's disguising whatever feeling he has for you as loathing."

"Since when are you an expert on all this?" Naomi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Remus is my best friend, Naomi, and I know him better than he knows himself sometimes. How do you think I knew it wasn't him Kingsley found dead in France? Look, I'm not saying Remus is still in love with you; in fact, I know he's not. All I'm saying is that there's still some loyalty for you somewhere in his heart, whether he's going to admit it or not. Now, whether he'll ever try to make civilized conversation with you... I don't know, but there's always a chance. You know Remus, Naomi; he's not a hateful man—he's the most caring person in the world and there are very few people he truly hates—Malfoy, Voldemort... Just give him time and don't piss him off."

Naomi cracked a smile. "I'll keep that in mind. You might want to get inside. I see Remus coming to the door."

Sirius looked over his shoulder briefly, feeling oddly like a teenager sneaking behind his parents' backs. "Alright, then. I'll see you at the next meeting, I suppose. Take care of yourself, Naomi."

"I will. You do the same, Sirius."

Sirius watched her turn on her heel and walk into the woods, the tip of her wand lighting her path as she went. He watched until he could no longer see the light before turning on his own heel and going into the cottage. When Remus asked where he'd gone, Sirius told him he just needed a bit of fresh air. Remus accepted this and checked in on Harry before going to bed. Sirius made sure the doors were locked and the lights were out before going to his own bedroom for some much needed sleep.


	3. Three

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Three_

Sirius stared at the closed door of his godson's bedroom. The small metal sign reading _"Harry's Room_" was still in place after nearly ten years, when the boy had first moved into the room. How long Sirius had been standing at the door, he didn't know. Harry'd been told to stay in bed by Dumbledore—he had run some tests and performed some spells to protect Harry from future possession by Voldemort and Harry would be weak for a few days until his body adjusted. Sirius hadn't been in to see Harry since the night before, after his long, strange conversation with Naomi. Of course, Harry had been asleep then, but it was likely he'd be awake now, seeing as how it was nearly lunchtime and all.

Remus had gone in, as had Emmeline, but Sirius kept making excuses that he had things to do. Was he avoiding Harry? He didn't like to phrase it that way, but he was, really. He wasn't sure if he was more afraid to face Harry because of what had happened the evening before or of what he'd seen in Harry's eyes. He had enough faith in Albus Dumbledore that he was sure Voldemort wouldn't be able to possess Harry again, so he wasn't worried about that. He hated himself for even thinking it, but he was afraid to be in the same room with his godson...

"Are you trying to do wandless magic again, Padfoot?" asked Remus from behind him. "Because it's still not working."

"Remus, the next time you make a crack about wandless magic, I'll..."

"You'll what?" Remus asked. Sirius could hear him grinning.

Sirius turned to glare at him. "I'll eat your hidden stash of Honeyduke's chocolate."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "You're not supposed to know about that. Have you been going through my things again? I thought you would've learned your lesson last time..."

"Oh, you mean when I opened your sock drawer and was doused in a layer of itching powder? Moony, you should know by now that it takes more than that to keep me from being nosy..."

"Hmm," Remus said, frowning in thought. A moment later, he nodded decisively. "Next time I'll use the boil powder I bought off Fred and George... It's still experimental they said, but it should do the job nicely."

Sirius raised an eyebrow this time. "You bought something from Fred and George?'

Remus shrugged nonchalantly. "Why not? Who am I to discourage their dreams of arming a generation of miscreants with pranking supplies?"

"And here I thought you'd become a respectable professor..."

"I'm a Marauder first and foremost, my dear Mister Padfoot. Always," Remus said with an incline of his head. "Now, why are you trying to see through Harry's door? Have you forgotten how to open it?"

"Har har," Sirius said dryly. "No... I just... I don't know what to say to him."

"You've never had a problem before."

"He's never been possessed by Voldemort before."

"True," Remus sighed. "Well, would you like me to go in with you?"

Sirius sighed. "No," he said quietly. "I'm just trying to get up the courage to go in there."

Remus nodded in understanding. He took a step closer to Sirius. "This is for your own good. You'll thank me later... Or perhaps not..." Before Sirius could even raise an eyebrow, Remus opened Harry's bedroom door, shoved Sirius through, and closed it firmly behind him. Sirius stumbled, managing to catch his footing before he fell to the floor, and turned to stare in amazement at the door. Remus was a very odd little man sometimes...

"Hey, Sirius," said a voice to his left. Sirius started a bit, having almost forgotten he was in Harry's room. He found his godson at the closet sitting cross-legged on the floor, sorting through a box of his old toys.

"Hey, kid," Sirius said awkwardly, stuffing hands in the pockets of his jeans and shifting a bit uncomfortably. "What're you doing out of bed?"

Harry shrugged. "I was bored, so I thought I'd look through my old stuff."

Sirius looked around nodding. Over the years, Harry's room had undergone some pretty drastic changes. When he'd first come to live at the cottage, the walls had been covered with family photos of the Potters and Quidditch posters. The bookshelves were filled with children's books and little childish knick-knacks and stuffed animals. The desk hadn't held much except some Muggle pencils, crayons, and drawing paper. Now, though, some of the posters had been replaced with voluptuous witches wearing somewhat revealing robes. The bookshelves contained Hogwarts books and comics, both Muggle and wizard. Harry's desk held various quills, inks, photos of his friends, and crumpled letters. Sirius had never really noticed how quickly Harry was growing up, but he suddenly wished his godson was still a helpless six-year-old who didn't care about anything except whether one of his guardians would take him flying that day.

Out of nowhere, Harry began to laugh, jolting Sirius from his thoughts. The wizard looked over to him, wondering what had amused him so. "What've you got there?" Sirius asked, going to sit beside Harry. The teenager was laughing too hard to get a word out of his mouth, so he held out a toy that had obviously been tampered with by magic.

It was a Mister Potato Head, but its features had been arranged to resemble a certain Hogwarts Potions Master. Sirius barked out a laugh, remembering the day he'd turned the toy into Snape—the same day Harry'd come to live with him and Remus. "Do you remember what you asked me when you first met him, Harry?" Sirius asked trying to catch his breath.

Still sniggering hard, Harry nodded. "Oh yeah... I asked if he was Mister Potato Head. I don't think he ever forgave me for that."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "He hasn't forgiven you for being your father's son, Harry. I highly doubt he'll forgive you for calling him Mister Potato Head, even if you were only five..."

Harry shrugged and sat the Snape-Potato-Head aside, continuing through the box. "Did you guys charm this box or something? It doesn't seem to have a bottom to it."

Sirius nodded. "Remus' idea. He figured this way you could keep it in here and add more to it as you got older."

"He's smart, that one," Harry muttered, pulling out toy cars and a Muggle action figure. His head shot up quickly as a flying toy flew from the box. The two wizards turned and watched the Hungarian Horntail fly around the room, breathing charmed fire that was cool to the touch, and roar quietly. "Wicked..." Harry grinned. That dragon had been one of his favorite playthings when he was small.

Sirius turned back to the box and frowned, finding something that shouldn't have been in there. "How'd you get a hold of this?" he asked, taking the black leather-bound book from the box.

"What is it?" Harry asked, looking over Sirius' shoulder as he opened the book.

"My old photo album. This is the one I kept all the pictures I had from Hogwarts, and just after. Julia put it together for me a few months before she died," Sirius replied quietly. Harry scooted closer to his godfather and they flipped through the pages together. He smiled occasionally when they found a picture of Lily and James together. One of the photos had been taken probably back in third or fourth year in the Gryffindor common room. Lily's face was redder than her hair as she shouted at James, who was visibly petrified of the young witch. If Sirius remembered correctly, he'd taken this photo just after James had somehow managed to charm all of her schoolbooks to recite cheesy love poems.

"Your dad was pretty hopeless back then," Sirius muttered affectionately. "Remus always tried to tell him not to be so forward with Lily—she didn't exactly like him then, but of course, he never listened, and this was the usual result."

Harry shook his head and chuckled. He was well aware of how his father and godfather had been perceived by his mother when they were in school. "What made her change her mind about him? I don't think you and Remus ever told me."

"Well," Sirius said, trying to remember exactly what happened. "Just after your grandparents were killed, you dad sort of had emotional shut down. He didn't talk, didn't eat... hell, I don't even think he slept much. School started, and as you know, he got Head Boy, though he really didn't care. Remus had to pin the badge to his robes and take him to the Prefects' carriage on the train for the first meeting of the term. From what Remus said when they got back, James didn't even reply to Evans'—Lily's, I mean—insults. Apparently she thought he'd stolen the badge from Moony... Anyway, he was like that for the first few months of the term. His grades started slipping, and I think Dumbledore even considered sending him to St. Mungo's to be evaluated.

"But just before Christmas, we had a Hogsmeade weekend. I didn't go because Peter and I were serving detention for Slughorn, and Remus was with Naomi. When we left the dorm, James was staring at the ceiling. When we all got back after dinner, he was gone. Well, we were going mental trying to find him—he wasn't anywhere on the map, see, and Remus hadn't seen him in Hogsmeade. Of course, he'd probably been too wrapped up in Naomi to notice anything...

"Just after dark, Peter checked the map again, and we found him down by the lake... with Lily. By now, she'd heard what happened to his parents, and was laying off on the insults, since he hadn't done anything to provoke her. Nevertheless, we thought it would be a good idea to go get him before something happened. But when we finally got our cloaks and got to the lake, we realized there'd been no reason to worry... They were kissing. Well, being the three stupid teenage boys we were, we made a big fuss about it and they broke apart. That was the first smile I'd seen on James' face in months and Lily was smiling too. I never really found out what happened, but Julia said she and Lily had found James sitting under a tree outside the Shrieking Shack, and Lily stopped to talk to him—Julia left to pick up a few things from Gladrags. That was it. Whatever they talked about obviously convinced your mum that James wasn't as bad as she'd thought, and a week later, they were official."

Harry smiled. "What do you think they talked about?"

Sirius smiled back. No matter how much he learned about his parents, Harry was always eager to hear more, and Sirius was more than willing to supply the information. "I honestly have no idea. James would never tell us; all he ever said was that he and Lily found mutual ground, whatever that means."

Harry nodded thoughtfully and reached for the photo album in Sirius' lap. He looked through the photos, stopping on one of Remus and Naomi just after they'd become engaged, about a year after Hogwarts. Both were glowing in happiness as Naomi showed off the small diamond ring to the camera, and Remus stood behind her, his arms tight around her waist, trying to get her to turn for a kiss.

"He really loved her, didn't he?" Harry asked, watching the picture with an expressionless face.

"With everything he had," Sirius confirmed softly. "He'd wanted to propose to her right after graduation, when you dad proposed to your mum, but her parents had wanted them to wait a year. They were afraid Remus and Naomi were rushing into something too fast."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "They started dating in sixth year, didn't they?" Sirius nodded. "Well, that's, what, a year and a half, two years? My parents got engaged after six months."

Sirius laughed. "Yeah, it makes no sense, I know, but people were making rash decisions all over the place—the war, you know. Mr. and Mrs. Watts tried to convince James to hold off too, but since they weren't his parents, they couldn't stop him."

"They were his godparents, though, right? So didn't they get custody of him when my grandparents died?"

"No," Sirius said, shaking his head. "James had just turned seventeen when his parents were killed, so he was free to live on his own—he stayed with me until the summer after seventh year, when he and Lily moved to Godric's Hollow together."

Harry nodded in understanding.

"But back to Remus and Naomi..." Sirius said, leaning back on his hands. "They waited a year, until Remus couldn't take it anymore, and they got engaged. I've never seen Remus as happy as he was after he proposed to her... The way he looks at Emmeline is pretty damn close, but it's not quite the same. I can only imagine what he went through when she left him..."

"Yeah, why did she do that?" Harry asked, anger beginning to edge into his voice. "From what I've heard, she hated the dark side, and all of a sudden she decides to join them. It makes no sense."

"Nothing made sense back then, Harry," Sirius said. "The entire world was in constant chaos; nobody knew what was going on. She's told Remus why she joined the Death Eaters, but he's never told me. I assume it something to do with her cousins and Wormtail, though."

"Her cousins?"

"The Lestrange brothers," Sirius said. "Rodolphus and Rabastan. Rodolphus married my cousin, Bellatrix..."

"So that would make you and Naomi cousins by marriage?"

"Technically, yes," Sirius said. "I don't consider us related, because I don't consider Bellatrix a part of my family. The only one I'll claim as family is Andromeda. But I disowned Bella and Narcissa years ago, when I was your age. Naomi never considered Rodolphus and Rabastan her cousins, either. That side of her family was pretty much unspoken of—her parents followed the Potters to our side, while their families were left with mine, supporting Voldemort."

"With everything you guys know about her, why's Naomi in the Order? What makes you think she's really on our side?"

Sirius sighed. "It's definitely a risk, having her spy for us, but Dumbledore knows what he's doing, and he'd never let anyone into the Order unless he was one hundred percent sure of their loyalties. He trusts Snape even though most of us hate him, so why would Naomi be any different? Besides, Naomi knows that if she double-crosses us, she's going to have a very pissed off werewolf after her." He grinned. "And to tell you the truth, I don't think she has any intentions of betraying us."

"Yeah, but how do you _know_?" Harry asked, turning slightly to face Sirius better. "What has she done to convince you guys she's on our side? How do you know she's not just trying to get on your good side to get more information out of you?"

"I've known Naomi for many years, Harry, and I can tell, just like Remus can, when she's putting us on—she never was good at pranking us at school, even though she tried many times. Granted, we didn't know what was going on when she was being contacted by Death Eaters, but we also hadn't realized what Peter was up to, so you can't really blame us there..." He sighed. "Naomi told us a lot about the Death Eater movements and Voldemort since she's come back to the Order. Don't tell Remus, but she and I have had a few late-night conversations at Headquarters, and she doesn't seem like she's hiding anything from us."

"Okay," Harry said, dropping the question for the moment. "Here's a question: If Wormtail hadn't been given the Dementor's Kiss, and he came back to the Order begging for forgiveness, would you forgive him like you forgave Naomi?"

Sirius averted his eyes from Harry's. The boy had to come up with the hard ones, didn't he? Well, it wasn't really that hard; in fact, he'd thought about it many times. "No," he said finally. "Though Naomi betrayed us and withheld information that could've kept your parents alive, she didn't do what Peter did. He had your parents' lives in his hands, and he willingly gave them over to Voldemort without a second thought. In my opinion, Peter Pettigrew is as much a murderer as Voldemort. As far as I know, Naomi didn't know what Peter was going to do. She didn't know we'd switched Secret-Keepers until she figured it out, after the fact. I think, and I could be very wrong, Naomi would've tried to save Lily and James had she'd known ahead of time. Or at the very least, she would have told someone. Your parents were two of Naomi's best friends, and she was just as devastated as the rest of us when they were killed..." Harry still didn't seem convinced. "Look, she's nowhere near being invited to Sunday dinner, but I do believe her, and I trust her."

"Did she know what Voldemort was going to do to me yesterday?" Harry asked quietly, picking at his carpet.

Sirius gulped a little. He'd almost forgotten about what happened yesterday. This wasn't the conversation he'd wanted to have with Harry just yet, but he knew it would have to happen sooner or later—he'd just hoped it would've happened later. "No, I don't think she did. Like the rest of us, she probably thought it was a possibility, but I honestly don't think she knew _when_ it was going to happen. She wouldn't let something like that happen, especially not to you. If there was something to do to stop it, Harry... I know it wasn't you in there last night. I know you'd never do anything like that to us...."

Harry snapped his eyes up from the carpet, his eyes full of remorse. "I wouldn't..." he said hoarsely. "I'd never do that, Sirius. I didn't even know anything was wrong. There were parts of my days that were blacked out, but I didn't think anything of it..."

"It's okay…" Sirius said, pulling Harry into a one-armed hug. "It's over now, and we're all okay. We'll take extra steps to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Harry leaned his head against Sirius' shoulder and wrapped an arm around his godfather's waist, wanting to be five again, so he could justify crawling into Sirius' lap and crying. Neither of them spoke for long moments; they just sat there, the photo album lay forgotten on the floor.

* * *

Remus stood in front of the kitchen window with a fresh cup of coffee in one hand, the other in his pocket. Emmeline had gone into work. Remus would be doing his work from the cottage so he could keep an eye on Harry—just in case. He didn't think anything would happen that would require him to stun Harry again, but he was ready to do so if needed. He kept thinking of the utterly helpless look he'd seen on Sirius' face when he and Emmeline had returned home the day before. Sirius had never believed anything of this magnitude could happen to Harry, and therefore, he'd been in complete shock. Not to mention there was no way for Sirius to protect himself, even if he had realized what was going on before it was too late.

Sirius was always right about the worst things—in this case, his being an easier target for Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Of course, Voldemort knew how close Sirius and Harry were, and that Sirius would never do anything to intentionally hurt Harry. Remus was willing to bet that even if Sirius had been able, he never would have stunned Harry, no matter the circumstances. He would have allowed himself to be killed by his godson's wand because he was too afraid to hurt the boy. Remus didn't even want to think of what would have happened if Harry—or rather, Voldemort acting through Harry—would have succeeded the evening before and murdered Sirius. The boy would have been more than devastated; he would have been destroyed. It was bad enough he was worried his godfather would be murdered every time the Auror left the cottage, but if Harry'd been the one to do it...

Remus shook his head hard, trying to get away from those thoughts. With any luck, they would discover the curse on Sirius in short time, and they could get Sirius his magic back. Without him, Remus didn't see the Order succeeding in the war against Voldemort. Being without Sirius Black would be like being without Harry Potter—they'd be doomed.

A pair of arms wrapped tightly around Remus' middle, startling him a little. He heard Emmeline giggle quietly as she laid her head against his back. "What're you doing back? I didn't expect you until dinner at the earliest," Remus said, setting his coffee on the countertop beside him and turning to face his girlfriend. She moved her arms from his waist to around his neck and leaned up for a kiss. They broke apart a minute later, smiling, and rested their foreheads together.

"I can go back to the Ministry, if you prefer," Emmeline whispered, rubbing the back of his neck softly.

Remus shook his head slightly. "No, it's quite all right. I'd rather you be here."

"Good answer." She grinned. "So how're things around here? Any different?"

"Well," Remus sighed, "Sirius is in there talking to Harry, if that's what you're wondering about, but other than that, nothing."

"He finally went in there?"

"Yep, even though it took me shoving him through the door to do so," Remus said. "I've never seen Sirius this shaken up about anything before."

Emmeline frowned slightly. "Well, your godson being possessed by the most evil dark wizard in history and nearly murdering you in your home would have anybody shaken up, Remus," she said. Remus laughed a little, regardless of the circumstances. "Harry's one of those things Sirius considers safe, and now that that's been compromised, I wouldn't be surprised if Sirius doesn't want to be home alone with Harry for a long while..."

Remus sighed and closed his eyes. "It feels like everything's falling apart, Emmeline. Everything's so confusing nowadays, and I don't know how to make it better. I'm always the one to take care of Sirius and Harry, even though I let Sirius think he's the one doing the protecting. I can protect them from Voldemort and Death Eaters, and I can even try and protect them from their dreams, but how am I supposed to keep them safe from something like this? This is no different than Voldemort coming in here and trying to do us in."

"It is different because Voldemort wouldn't have been so easy to stun," Emmeline said with a straight face, trying to make Remus laugh. His lips twitched a bit. "Look, you're not going to be able to protect them from everything the world throws at them. Especially Harry... he's got a lot more responsibility than any of us would ever want to deal with, and he seems to be handling it okay for the most part. Now Sirius... Him I could understand needing protection—he's practically a Squib, and until we find this mysterious counter-curse—if it exists—yeah, he's going to need help. I've told you before that you need to look out for yourself as well as everyone you care about. I mean that, Remus. If something happens to you..." she trailed off, shaking her head. "Well, that would be a lot worse for Sirius and Harry, wouldn't it?"

Remus nodded slightly. "And what about for you?" he asked quietly.

She sighed. "I've only had you for seven months, and I'm not ready to lose you just yet. So do us all a favor, Remus Lupin, and keep yourself safe. Okay?"

Remus smiled and kissed her lips. "I'll do my best."


	4. Four

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Four_

_In the center of a large forest in Kent stood a small white cottage with a very well tended garden, which was quite plainly the pride and joy of lady of the house. Inside the front window, one could see a small boy, just shy of his eleventh birthday, playing an old, battered, secondhand piano. He'd never really liked the instrument; he preferred spending his days in his father's study reading one of the many books on the shelves, even though he'd read most of them twice. He only practiced piano because his mother wanted him to. She was amazing on the instrument, and the boy held many fond memories of listening to her playing lovely music throughout his young life._

_The boy had a permanently sick look about him. Some days were worse than others —today was one of his good days. His sandy brown hair hung slightly over his blue eyes as he looked down to watch his fingers move across the ivory keys. There was a pale scar running from the top of his shoulder to his elbow. He'd only received the injury a week before, but his body healed much more quickly than a person's normally would. _

_When the boy had been only four years old, his life had been changed dramatically. Despite his parents' constant warnings about leaving the house at night, he had gone out into the yard for a toy truck his dad had brought home for him earlier that day. He'd found the toy right where he left it, by the big shade tree where his mum read to him. The full moon was shining brightly on his yellow dump truck, and he moved quickly across the damp grass in his bare feet to get to it. It was the middle of summer, and quite warm that night, so he had gone out in only his blue pajama bottoms. _

_When he finally got to his truck, he heard a low growling noise from inside the bushes. He looked up and saw a pair of yellow eyes glaring at him. He could smell putrid breath of rotten flesh and blood. Before he had a chance to run, what he thought to be a large dog pinned him to the ground. The silvery-colored animal began to bite and scratch at the boy's bare chest. He screamed and cried for his mummy and daddy to come as the dog continued to tear him apart. _

_Finally, after what seemed like hours to the young boy, he heard his dad burst from the backdoor. There was a bright flash of light, and the weight of the dog disappeared. The child woke days later in the hospital with his mother crying beside his bed. He asked her what was wrong, but she only cried harder and hugged him tightly. A few weeks later, his parents were allowed to take him home. He still didn't know why they looked so tired. Eventually they told him. The boy had never seen his dad cry before that day. He hadn't been bitten by a dog, as he had thought, but a werewolf. And now he would become a werewolf too. His parents tried to explain to him what would happen on the full moons, but neither of them could get close enough to explaining the pain he would experience. They told him that no matter what happened, no matter what the full moon would do to him, they would always love him, and they would do everything they could to find a cure for him._

_But there was no cure for his curse. His father worked night and day at his small bookshop in Diagon Alley, searching every book he could get his hands on for something, anything that could possibly help his son. As the years went on, all the family could do was go on with life as normally as possible. The boy's parents didn't treat him any differently because of his condition —when he played tricks on his mum during the day, he was still punished; his dad still held him in his lap and read to him at night. _

_The only thing that seemed to have changed about John and Rebecca Lupin's plans for their son was the hope of sending him to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Surely, no headmaster would admit a werewolf into the school. And even if by some miracle he did get in, the Ministry would highly oppose the decision._

_The young boy resigned himself to a life of homeschooling by his mother and a promise from his father to teach him magic after his eleventh birthday. He was sad that he'd never get the chance to see the Hogwarts corridors, or learn from the teachers his father had told him so much about, but he went on with his life, playing his mother's piano until she called him for lunch._

_That day, the boy's life changed again. Just as he played the last note on his mum's sheet music, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it, honey, you just keep playing," his mum called as she walked to the front door._

_He rolled his eyes discreetly and picked up another book of music. His father brought home one of the Muggle books his shop had just gotten in, _Treasure Island_, and he was eager to get back to it. He heard his mother greet someone happily as he selected his next piece. He cracked his knuckles, hoping his mum didn't hear —she always told him not to crack his knuckles —and placed his fingers over the keys._

_But before he could start playing, his mother entered the living room followed by a tall man with long silver hair and a beard to match. He wore purple robes and half moon spectacles on his crooked nose that made his twinkling blue eyes brighter. The boy knew this man well, by his picture, that is; he'd never had the chance to meet the wizard before._

"_Remus," his mother said smiling. "This is Albus Dumbledore, your father's old professor."_

_Remus smiled at the wizard. "Hello, sir," he said quietly, shaking the hand offered to him. "It's wonderful to meet you."_

"_The pleasure is all mine, Remus," Dumbledore said. "I've heard nothing but great things of you from your father. Is it true, Remus, that you once rigged your mother's kitchen cupboards to shoot flour at her when she opened them?" Remus' eyes widened slightly and he looked at his mother, whose lips were twitching, though her eyebrows were raised. He looked back to Dumbledore, whose blue eyes twinkled in an almost hypnotic way. "It's quite all right, Remus," the old wizard said. "We've all had our moments of fun. Why, I happen to recall your father and his friends charming the Hogwarts suits of armor to shoot water balloons at passersby when he was in school."_

_Remus grinned. "My dad did that?" he whispered in awe. Dumbledore nodded. "Wicked..."_

"_Indeed," Dumbledore said with a chuckle. "But I have another reason for visiting you today other than reliving old, fond memories. I wonder, Rebecca, if we may move into the kitchen. John tells me you have made a wonderful chocolate cake..."_

_Remus' mum laughed. "Yes, John would brag about cake. Of course, please, come in and make yourself at home, sir. Come along, Remus, it's time for lunch anyway."_

_Remus gratefully pushed himself away form the piano with a sigh of relief. His mother hadn't seen his face, but Dumbledore had; Remus blushed a bit, but Dumbledore winked at him and went to the kitchen. His mum was busy preparing tea, sandwiches, and slicing cake for the old professor. The wizard sat beside Remus at the table, and tossed his long beard over his shoulder as Mrs. Lupin set a plate of cake and a cup of tea before him._

"_This looks delicious, Rebecca, thank you," Dumbledore said, picking up a fork and cutting into his cake. _

"_Enjoy, sir," Mrs. Lupin said, handing Remus his lunch and sitting on her son's other side. "So to what do we owe this pleasure, Professor Dumbledore?"_

"_Please, Rebecca, call me Albus, as I've asked before." Dumbledore smiled. "I've just come from John's bookshop, and I must say it's grown magnificently in the last few months. You must be proud of your husband, my dear."_

_Rebecca nodded and smiled. "I am, Albus. Quite proud."_

_Dumbledore inclined his head slightly. "John and I were discussing your son this afternoon."_

_Remus looked up from his lunch. "Me? Why were you discussing me? Sorry," he added for his interruption._

"_Not to worry, Remus. As I was saying, Rebecca, John informed me that Remus' eleventh birthday is fast approaching. I, of course, knew this before our meeting today, but that is another matter entirely. Now, Remus, do you know what happens on a witch's or wizard's eleventh birthday?"_

_Remus nodded. "Yes, sir, they receive their Hogwarts letter. My dad told me. He told me everything about Hogwarts, since I won't be able to go."_

_Dumbledore raised a white eyebrow. "Why would you think that you would not be able to attend Hogwarts?"_

_Remus bit his lip and looked to his mum. He'd never told anyone about his Lycanthropy. His parents had told select family members, but after they'd been informed, they'd never again visited the Lupins' cottage. What would Dumbledore say when he found out what Remus was? His dad told him he was no less human because of what had happened, but he'd also told Remus that there were others in the world who would persecute Remus for what he became once a month, and they would call him names. Would Dumbledore do that too?  
_

_Mrs. Lupin opened her mouth and began to explain, but Dumbledore silenced her, still watching Remus closely. "It's okay, my boy, you can tell me," he said kindly with a knowing look in his eyes._

_Remus sighed and gulped, unable to look away from Dumbledore's eyes. "I-I won't be able to go to Hogwarts because..." He took a deep breath. "Because I'm a w-werewolf." The last word was spoken as a whisper. Remus waited for the look of disgust he'd gotten from his father's brother five years before, but it never came. _

_Dumbledore continued to smile gently at him. "I still do not understand why you believe you will not be able to attend Hogwarts, Remus," he said._

_Remus furrowed his brow. "Well, my dad said the Ministry of Magic wouldn't allow it, even if Headmaster Dippet would. He said the Ministry would think I was too dangerous to be with other kids."_

"_And what do you think?"_

_The boy shrugged. "I suppose my dad's right," he said quietly, almost shamefully. "I could hurt another student, or kill somebody." Out of the corner of his eye, Remus saw his mother wipe a tear from her eye._

"_I see," Dumbledore said quietly. "Well, I can tell you, Remus, that your admittance to Hogwarts will not be Headmaster Dippet's decision; he passed away just after Christmas this year, and has since been replaced with the school's deputy Headmaster." When the Lupins met him with questioning glances, he smiled again. "I would like to introduce you to Hogwarts' new Headmaster... Me."_

"_Congratulations, Albus!" Mrs. Lupin said with a wide smile. "John didn't tell us."_

"_Well, I've only just informed John on this very day, so that would be why you were not informed. But we are off the subject. Remus, it is my decision on whether or not you will attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."_

_Rebecca shook her head. "But what about the Ministry? John says their views on..." she stole a quick glance at her son, who quickly looked down to his shoes. "Well, on werewolves are horrendous. From what he's told me, Remus has no rights in the wizarding world."_

"_While that was true in the past, laws have been changed since the appointment of Minister Finely two years ago. I do not know if you are aware of this, but the Minister's youngest brother was bitten by a werewolf when he was a child. Finely entered the Ministry just after Hogwarts in the hopes of changing the laws regarding werewolves. He's very sympathetic towards children like Remus, Rebecca. Your son is one of many innocents who have been affected and robbed of a normal life. I have had many discussions with the Minister concerning Remus, and both of us are convinced that if the proper precautions are taken, there should be no reason he couldn't attend Hogwarts."_

_Remus' eyes widened; surely it couldn't be possible..._

"_You have a lot of potential, Remus," Dumbledore said, turning to the boy. "Your father has told me about how you spend most of your days reading things for fun that most grown wizards don't care enough about to study. He's told me there have been nights when he or your mother had to pry a book from your hands because you fell asleep reading. Your father has further told me that one of your dreams is to attend Hogwarts, to take part in the lessons, and to one day become a fully qualified wizard. Is this all true, Remus?"_

_Remus nodded. "Yes, sir."_

"_Well then," Dumbledore said happily. "I have heard all I need." He stood. "Thank you again, Rebecca, for the cake. I apologize that I did not have the chance to enjoy it further." Remus raised his eyebrows, feeling disappointment fill his insides—maybe he wouldn't be going to Hogwarts, after all. But why would Dumbledore get his hopes up and then let him down like this? _

_The new Headmaster began to leave the cottage. His mother stood to follow him out the door, but there was no need; Dumbledore stopped halfway down the hall and turned back. He chuckled and reentered the kitchen, reaching into his robes. "I must be losing my memory as the years go on. I almost forgot to give you this, Remus."_

_Remus took the aged parchment envelope and looked at the back, where he saw the familiar red wax Hogwarts seal—his father had shown him his old letters from school. Remus' heart began beating wildly, threatening to jump right out of his chest, as he turned the letter over and saw his name and address written in emerald green script._

"_I expect to see you in the Great Hall with your Hogwarts robes on the first of September, Remus," Dumbledore said, smiling. "Until then, I bid you a good day, and look forward to our next meeting."_

_Neither Remus nor his mother could say much. Remus tried to thank the Headmaster, but his mother had pulled him into a hug so tight he had to struggle to breathe. In less than six months, he would be just like every other kid in the wizarding world; he would be going to Hogwarts... just like his dad._

_

* * *

_

It was the last day of July and the backyard of the cottage was full, as most of the Order of the Phoenix was dropping by to wish Harry Potter a happy sixteenth birthday. The birthday boy was currently sitting with his friends as they talked about... something. Remus watched them from his spot on the back steps, idly wondering what they were discussing. It didn't seem to be anything terribly amusing—Hermione and Ginny were looking grave, while Ron looked pale. Fred and George didn't seem to know what to do—cracking a joke didn't seem to be an option at the moment.

_He's probably told them about what happened the other night,_ Remus thought. _And of course, he just can't wait until it's not his birthday. He's got to tell them right away._ He sighed._ Well, at least they're not running away screaming... _

Harry's friends knew that he was a magnet for trouble, and Harry kept no secrets from them unless otherwise directed by his guardians. Remus was happy Harry had the kind of friends he did—good friends could get a person through the darkest of times. Without his own friends, Remus wouldn't be anything he was now. For Harry to one day defeat Lord Voldemort, it was important for him to have his friends at his side to help him, whether it be for moral support or actual fighting.

"Would you care for some company or are you too stuck in your deep thoughts?" Emmeline asked, sitting beside him on the steps. She slipped an arm through his, and intertwined their fingers.

Remus smiled, still watching Harry with his friends. Whatever they'd been talking about, the discussion seemed to have ceased as either Fred or George ruffled Harry's hair and said something to make the boy laugh. "Just thinking about Harry," Remus said. "And how much he reminds me of myself at his age..."

"How so?" Emmeline asked, cocking her head and squinting in the sunlight.

"How, once I got over my insecurities and trusted my friends, I knew I could tell them just about anything, good or bad, and they'd never leave me. How I needed, and still need, their assurances that I can get past anything the world throws at me," he explained. "I never would have made it through life if it hadn't been for Sirius, James, and even Peter. I know that if they hadn't done what they did by becoming Animagi, I would have killed myself long ago. They are the reason I'm alive. They are the reason I got over my fears, and even began to date. They are the reasons I believed enough in myself to pursue a teaching career, even though it didn't last."

"Have you ever thought about teaching at a Muggle school?"

"Lily suggested that once, actually. She was the one who really pushed me into being a teacher. Her, Naomi, and Julia. Julia worked in Wizard/Muggle Relations before she died, and she'd been working on a bill to allow wizards to get Muggle jobs without having to go through all the Ministry red tape. Without that bill, I would have had to register at the Ministry, stating that I wanted a Muggle job, and they'd place me somewhere—I'd have no choice of jobs. And being a werewolf... well, let's just say it's damn near impossible for me to get a job outside of the wizarding world."

Emmeline kissed his shoulder. "Well, you don't have to worry about that now, do you? Bones loves you as Head of the Magical Creatures, and she's been trying for years to rewrite all the werewolf legislations Fudge and Umbridge came up with."

Remus smiled. "You know, it doesn't really matter anymore. I used to be so upset that my friends had all the advantages they did, knowing I'd never be able to do more than dream. But I've got a great job, a wonderful family, and a beautiful woman by my side. What more could I ask for?"

Emmeline's response was a silent one.

* * *

Sirius smiled as he watched Remus and Emmeline. The last time he'd had something like they had was with Julia. His relationship with Hestia Jones had been more physical than anything, no matter what he told himself after her death. He had loved Hestia, just not as he'd loved Julia. He hoped to find love sometime in the future, but it wasn't one of his top priorities. If it happened, it happened; if not, well, maybe he just wasn't meant to fall in love again. Remus was, though. He was meant to fall in love with Emmeline Vance, marry her, and have all sorts of children with her. Sirius had known that before they had, and he hoped it wouldn't be long before Remus got up the nerve to make it official.

Something over his head caught his eye. He looked up and spotted the familiar brown owl swoop over the trees. Glancing back to make sure Remus was still occupied, he ducked away from Molly's conversation with Elphias Doge about magical means of getting stains out of carpets. He and the owl met up on the side of the cottage. The bird landed on Sirius' outstretched arm and the wizard retrieved the letter it carried. His brow furrowed as the owl squeezed his talons against Sirius' bare arm briefly before taking flight, going back to his owner.

_Must be in a hurry today_, he thought vaguely, unfolding the letter. His jaw clenched tightly as he read; this hadn't been the news he'd expected to hear. But there was nothing he could do until Harry's party was over. Remus would murder him if he even suggested leaving, and Harry deserved to have his godfather stay at his party at least once—the last two years, circumstances had forced Sirius to leave early.

Growling in both anger and frustration, Sirius balled up the letter in his fist and went to the front yard, entering the cottage that way. He moved swiftly to his own bedroom where he scribbled a note and folded it before taking it to Harry's room. Hedwig was asleep in her cage, her head hidden under her white wing. Sirius tiptoed across the floor, cursing under his breath at all the stuff littering Harry's floor. He gently took the owl from her cage, walked her to the open window, and carefully tied his note to her leg.

"All right, girl," he said quietly before letting her fly off. "Don't let Harry or Remus see you; they'll have my hide for this." Hedwig gave a disapproving hoot, as though she too was against him corresponding with this particular person. "Safe flight, then." Hedwig's talons dug into his arm a little harder than was necessary, and he watched her soar off into the sun.

"Padfoot?" Remus called from the kitchen. "Sirius, where are you? Harry's about to open his gifts!"

"On my way!" Sirius called back. Feeling slightly guilty, he returned to the backyard.

"Everything all right?" Remus asked as Harry and his friends examined the table of gifts awaiting the birthday boy.

Sirius nodded, avoiding eye contact with his best friend. "Yeah, everything's fine." Remus didn't seem convinced, and Sirius was sure to hear more about this later, but for the moment the subject was dropped. "Are we giving him our gift now?"

Remus shook his head. "I think that should be more of a private thing between the three of us, you know?"

"Good call. After the party, then?"

Remus nodded and the two friends moved forward to see Harry unwrap a new Quidditch jersey from Hermione. The presents he received varied from things like sweets from Hagrid and Dumbledore to books and clothes from Emmeline. Harry seemed a bit confused as he reached to bottom of the pile, not finding anything from his guardians. Sirius and Remus only smiled mysteriously at him and called the guests into the kitchen for cake.

* * *

"They're up to something," Harry muttered, watching his guardians converse with Bill and his girlfriend Fleur Delacour—Sirius seemed to be somewhat smitten with her...

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Of course they're up to something, Harry," she said. "They're Marauders—they're always up to something."

"Yeah, but—" Harry began.

"Harry, shut up and eat your cake," Fred said, sitting beside him on the kitchen counter. "Stop being so paranoid, mate. They won't do anything too horrible to you; it's your birthday, after all."

"Don't be so sure," Harry muttered darkly.

"Well, look at it this way, Harry," Hermione said. "Nothing's happened to make Sirius leave early this year."

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "No, everything happened the other night, didn't it?"

None of his friends tried to argue this. They just continued to enjoy their chocolate and peanut butter cake, letting an awkward silence fall between them. Harry had told them what had happened three nights before, and their reactions had been somewhat predictable: Ron had gone chalk-white, and he'd dropped his butterbeer; Hermione, though horrified at first, began to spout off everything she'd ever read about possession; Fred and George had just kind of stared at him for a few moments. Ginny, though, was perhaps the only person Harry knew that had any idea what he'd been through. During her first year at Hogwarts, she'd been possessed by Tom Riddle by way of a magical diary.

"So, er, any idea who Dumbledore's going to get for Defense this year?" George asked. Harry was thankful for the change of subject.

"Could be anyone," Ron said. "Didn't you say Mad-Eye's going back to the Ministry, Harry?"

Harry nodded. "According to Sirius, yeah, but I don't know if that's official yet."

"Well, Dumbledore's bound to make a decision soon. We've only got four weeks until the new school term," Hermione said, watching Ron stuff cake into his mouth. "Honestly, Ron, you act like you're never going to eat again..."

"And what's really sad," Ginny said, "is that he's always done that."

Ron mumbled something through his cake, and though his friends and siblings couldn't make out the words, his mother began berating him from across the kitchen about the use of such foul language.

* * *

The party went on until nearly midnight, and not one Firecall or owl had come through for any of the guests that would require them to leave. Molly had taken it upon herself to clean up the mess in the backyard, even though Remus told her over and over again he could handle it. Finally, he rolled his eyes, smiled, and went back into the living room where Sirius was telling everyone stories about the Marauders' Hogwarts days.

_And every single person in this room has probably heard every single one of these stories, but they still let him go on as if it was something new,_ Remus thought. _It's good, though. It makes him feel normal. Not that Sirius Black could ever be considered normal, of course..._

Hermione falling asleep on Ron's shoulder was the signal that it was time to call it a night. Everyone wished Harry a happy birthday one last time before Flooing to their respective destinations. Once the living room was empty, save Harry, his guardians, and Emmeline, the birthday boy collapsed with a happy sigh in Sirius' armchair. The wizard only had to raise an eyebrow at his godson before he relocated to the sofa.

"Did you have a good day, Harry?" Emmeline asked, sitting beside him.

Harry smiled and nodded. "Yeah, definitely one of the best birthdays I've had in a long time."

Remus was just happy it'd been a semi-normal day, regardless of how the last few months had gone. "Well, we've got one more thing to give you, and you can either have it tonight or wait until morning."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Why would I wait until morning?"

"Because we're old and we may not have the energy to deal with your young soul tonight," Sirius said easily.

"Speak for yourself, Black," Emmeline said loftily. "I'm twenty-nine and holding strong, thankyouverymuch." She winked and smiled at Harry's chuckling before sipping at her Butterbeer

"And I don't recommend arguing that, Padfoot," Remus said with a grin.

"Do I look stupid?" Sirius asked. "Don't answer that," he added hastily as Harry and Remus opened their mouths in unison.

Emmeline laughed and shook her head. "You three go ahead and have your time together. I'm going to bed. Happy birthday, Harry," she said, kissing Harry's cheek. "Goodnight, boys."

The wizards said good night and watched her walk down the hall.

"You've got yourself a good woman, Moony," Sirius said, standing from his chair. "Don't let her go."

Remus only smiled and winked at Harry as Sirius went to his bedroom.

"What's he doing?" Harry asked.

"Getting your gift," Remus responded as if it should have been obvious. "Don't worry; you're going to love it."

Sirius returned a minute later carrying a box with no markings on it whatsoever. He sat it on the floor and signaled for Remus and Harry to sit around it with him. "Moony, if you would do the honors," he said.

Remus inclined his head slightly and waved his wand to turn all of the lights in the cottage off, leaving them in darkness. Before Harry could say anything, Remus muttered, "_Incendio_," and the fireplace filled with orange flames. "Okay, Harry," the werewolf said. "This is something that has been a Potter family heirloom for centuries, like your Invisibility Cloak. I don't think it's ever been used in quite this way, but your mum and dad wanted to give you something that would ensure you knew them."

"They didn't think they would make it out of the war," Sirius said quietly. "Neither of them ever said it out loud, but everything they did in their last few months told us they knew something was going to happen. But somehow, they were convinced you would make it through, and thankfully, you did."

"The contents of this box, Harry," Remus continued, "is something you'll have for the rest of your life. What is in this box is probably the most personal thing a parent can give their child. And Lily and James wanted us to contribute as well—by us, I mean all of the Marauders, Julia before her death, and Naomi. Your parents knew that some of us wouldn't make it, and they wanted you to know about the people they loved."

By now, Harry looked both eager and nervous as he eyed the box and his guardians in turn. Sirius and Remus exchanged a glance—Remus nodded—and Sirius opened the box finally. He very carefully pulled out a gray stone basin with ancient markings and colored stones circling it. Remus moved the box aside so Sirius could place the item on the carpet and Harry leaned over it for a better look. The basin was filled with a silvery liquid that swirled around in all different colors—red, blue, green, black—mixing in with it occasionally. Harry furrowed his brow.

"It's a pensieve," Remus said unnecessarily. "James wasn't ever sure what the runes and markings meant, but if you're interested, you and I can look them up some time."

The look on Harry's face was nothing short of awestruck. "My parents' memories are in there?" he whispered, tracing a finger around the Pensieve's rim.

"Yes," Sirius said, smiling. "Well, copies of the memories. Everything the rest of us contributed was related to your parents in someway, or your grandparents. I'm sure I threw in a few of those memories in there. I know someone put in their view of Lily's and James' wedding day..."

Harry looked to be in absolute heaven over his gift. His face was full of a joy and a slight reluctance his guardians had only seen when he received his very first broomstick at age five. Sirius and Remus smiled at each other over Harry's scruffy head of hair, knowing Harry felt as though he'd found the holy grail as far as his parents were concerned. They both knew this would mean Harry wouldn't routinely ask them for stories of his family, but there were still many to tell, and anything the pensieve didn't cover, they'd pick up the slack on.

"Well," Sirius said, scooting forward on the carpet a bit, his face almost as eager as Harry's. "Are you going to try it out?"

Harry smiled widely, looking away from the pensieve for the first time in nearly half an hour. "Right now?" he asked as though Sirius and Remus would suddenly rip his new possession from him. "I can try it out now?"

Remus smiled gently and scooted closer just as Sirius had done. "Of course you can," he said. "It's yours to use whenever you want." If possible, Harry's smile widened. The two wizards on either side of him placed a hand on each of his shoulders, pushing him forward into the pensieve. Harry took a deep breath just before his face hit the cool, swirling liquid, and a moment later, he was gone.


	5. Five

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Five_

Sitting in an old recliner that had once belonged to her parents, Naomi sighed heavily, then gasped slightly at a sharp pain in her right shoulder. She winced and rubbed gently at the sore spot, afraid to aggravate it anymore. That night had definitely been one of the worst she could remember in a long while. She'd been in charge of an attack in the western countryside. She generally tried her best to avoid the use of Unforgivables—she may have been stupid enough to become a Death Eater, but if she could refrain from using the three most illegal curses in the wizarding world, she did—but Bellatrix had been nearby and egged her on to use Imperius on a boy no older than twelve.

The moment she'd learned of the attack, and when and where it would take place, she'd contacted Dumbledore and the Order. The Order had arrived late into the attack—if they'd been on the scene when the Death Eaters arrived, covers would have been blown, and Naomi probably wouldn't have been alive to recall her night. Luckily, a few lives were saved and the dead were taken to be examined by the Ministry. Many deaths these days were predictably caused by the Killing Curse, but Minister Bones had a policy of finding the exact cause of death, just incase the Death Eaters had come up with some new way to kill. This benefited Naomi, as well; if the Ministry was finding the information out on its own, she could safely say she had nothing to do with telling the other side Voldemort's secrets.

But that hadn't been the worst part of her day, though it came close. Lucius had been feeling a bit frisky after the attack, and Naomi had been the one to have to deal with the drunken son of a bitch. Not long after he'd finished with Naomi, Lucius had left the Death Eater castle to visit his wife and son. He'd been visiting Malfoy Manor for many months now, and the Order of the Phoenix were well aware of it. The Ministry only hadn't invaded the house on Dumbledore's orders. "The time will come," he'd told the Order a few weeks before, "that it will be safe to send our own onto the enemy's territory. But right now, it would do no good; our informants would be discovered, and that is not a risk worth taking at this point and time."

Naomi was thankful to the Headmaster for that, but she wondered when he would decide it would be worth the risk to invade Malfoy Manor. It wouldn't be long after that invasion that someone in Lord Voldemort's ranks would realize they were being betrayed. Though the Dark Lord had taken mercy upon Snape after the Potions Master's saving Harry after his poisoning, it was unheard of that anyone lived to betray him again. And with Naomi's luck, she'd be caught when Voldemort was in a particularly nasty mood, and would be shown mercy only to the point of a quick death—she wasn't fond of putting things off if she could help it.

Just as she was closing her eyes, there was a soft, rapid knock on the door of her flat. She groaned in annoyance, unsure who would be coming to pay her a visit, and grabbed her wand from the table beside her. She muttered a quick charm, the tip of her wand pointed towards the door, and watched the solid door vanish. The person on the other side couldn't see her, but she could quickly and safely decipher if she was about to receive an unwanted guest.

Her pale eyebrows shot up to her hairline when she recognized who'd come by. Wearing a hooded cloak, Naomi could see plainly Narcissa Malfoy shifting around in the hallway, looking over her shoulder every few seconds.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Naomi muttered aloud before crossing to the door. She ran a hand through her long blonde hair, knowing the first thing Narcissa would pick up on would be her ratty appearance. _But there's nothing I can do about that now, is there?_

She held her wand tightly, the tip pointed towards the ground now, and opened the door wearing the most pleasant smile she could fake. "Narcissa," she gushed with feigned cheer. "What a surprise! Please, come in."

Narcissa didn't smile. She crossed the threshold of the flat and looked around in distaste. For a second, Naomi considered wrapping her fingers tightly around the other woman's neck and squeezing until her ugly grey eyes bulged from their sockets. Cruel, yes, but Naomi never liked Narcissa.

"Please, have a seat," Naomi said, hoping she wouldn't have to keep up this charade for much longer. "Would you care for a drink? I've got coffee, tea, butterbeer, or perhaps something a bit stronger...?"

"No, thank you," Narcissa answered stiffly, examining her fingernails. "This is not a social call, Naomi. I am here to discuss my husband and son."

_Oh, lovely,_ Naomi thought sarcastically. Nevertheless, she sat back down in her recliner and waited for Narcissa to begin.

"I realize you are possibly the Dark Lord's favorite—second to my husband, of course—and as such, you have many advantages the others do not. I know what the Dark Lord has done to my son, and I've come to ask a favor of you."

Naomi tried to keep her eyebrows where they were supposed to be, but it proved near impossible. "I see," she said cautiously. "And what sort of favor would you ask of me, Narcissa?"

"Do not allow my son to come to harm," Narcissa said promptly, her face betraying no emotion. "Keep him from getting on the Dark Lord's bad side. I understand he is arrogant at times, much like his father, which is another reason I ask this of you, and not Lucius. Lucius does not care that Draco may die—all he is concerned about is furthering his own ties with the Dark Lord."

"Narcissa," Naomi said, sitting on the edge of her seat. "I understand your concerns—if my son was put in this position, I would feel the same. However, there are no guarantees of safety where the Dark Lord is concerned. Surely you've learned that by now..."

Narcissa sighed—the first visible sign of emotion Naomi had seen from her in months. "I do realize this, but I cannot be with Draco through out all this. Regardless of what the Dark Lord and my husband believe, he is only sixteen years old."

Naomi wasn't quite sure what Narcissa was asking of her, but she had a feeling a fair amount of babysitting would be involved. "I will do what I can, Narcissa, but I make no promises. Receiving the Mark was Draco's decision—hell, I think he was excited about it. I would like to you understand that it will be Draco's responsibility to carry out his mission and stay on the Dark Lord's good side—if he has one of those; otherwise, I do not see him living through this war."

"I do understand," Narcissa said, back to her snooty self. "As for my husband—" She looked at Naomi's injured shoulder, and the other witch stiffened a bit—could Narcissa have found out about her and Lucius' monstrosity of a relationship? "He is careless and reckless, though the Dark Lord trusts him as much as he trusts you. I do not want my son to turn out like Lucius, running from the Ministry of Magic for the rest of his life. I leave my son's fate in your hands, Naomi." The witch stood. "And I apologize for such a late call, but it was safer this way."

"Of course," Naomi said as she stood and led the way to the door. "As I've said, I will do my best by Draco to make sure he remains safe."

Narcissa nodded once before pulling the hood of her cloak over her head, and left the flat quickly, leaving a very confused Naomi in her wake.

* * *

Just past ten the next night, Remus Apparated into the cottage with a grateful sigh. He hadn't planned on working so late that night; in fact, he'd planned on leaving early in the night, but a goblin had been arrested for biting the ankles of unsuspecting passersby in Hyde Park. Normally, Remus would have found the situation utterly hilarious, but he'd been the one to question the goblin, and the creature had gotten irate over his apparent poor treatment at the Ministry. Remus had been forced to endure rabies detection charms—something he was rather used to (being a werewolf, he had to have the tests done every year, anyway)—and he had to drink a number of potions to prevent infection.

All in all, it hadn't been a good day for Remus Lupin.

Amos Diggory had returned to work earlier in the week, and instead of glaring at Remus every chance he got, he completely ignored his head of department. He had, however, inquired about how Sirius was faring, since he'd been the one to unknowingly plant the wand that had stripped Sirius of his magic. But even that conversation was secondhand to Remus' ears—Charlie had been the one Diggory had asked.

Though tempted to collapse on the sofa and sleep for a week or four, Remus made his way to the kitchen, wondering idly where his family had gotten to. Life within the cottage had gone relatively back to normal since Harry's birthday two weeks before. Remus was relieved to see that Sirius was no longer skirting nervously around Harry—they'd actually spent a lot of time together exploring the pensieve Lily and James left to their son. Whenever they'd emerge from the stone bowl, both had looks of utter content on their faces. It was good that Sirius found something that didn't require a wand—Remus had started to worry about his best friend's hope of ever getting back to normal.

Remus peered quickly into the fridge for something to eat, but decided he wasn't hungry after finding a moldy sandwich that looked as though it housed another universe. He settled for a butterbeer and went down the hallway. Harry was fast asleep at his desk, a book that looked suspiciously like a Hogwarts text as his pillow. Gently, Remus roused the boy and moved him to the bed, where he fell asleep again moments later. Remus rolled his eyes fondly, kissed the top of his surrogate godson's head, and left the room.

Sirius, to Remus' great surprise, was not in his bedroom. The werewolf frowned, wondering where his best friend could've gotten to at this late hour. The only means of transportation Sirius had was his motorcycle, and even Sirius wasn't stupid enough to travel alone at night where he would be an open target to anything, everything, and everyone. Hoping his best friend had just gone out for a short walk—Sirius had taken to walking around the cottage at night of late and ignored Remus' pleas to at least take an Invisibility Cloak—Remus went to his own bedroom.

He opened the door and spotted Emmeline huddled over a large, dusty book, completely engrossed in whatever it was she was reading. He leaned against the doorframe lazily, a soft smile on his lips, still in awe that she'd come into his life the way she had. Sure, he'd fancied her a bit when the Order had first reformed, but he'd never honestly thought he had a shot at being with her. He was a werewolf, after all, and what sane woman would want to share a meal, let alone her bed, with a werewolf? But Emmeline had been more than supportive of him, and she did everything she could safely manage to help him before, on, and after the full moon.

"Sirius is an idiot," the subject of his thoughts muttered, not looking away from her book.

Remus raised an eyebrow and pushed away from the door. "And you've just now figured this out?"

Emmeline chuckled. "Well, no, but tonight put the icing on the cake, if you will."

"Why? What's he done now?"

She sighed and finally turned around in her chair, removing a pair of golden reading glasses from her nose. "Well, just after dinner, which you missed, by the way, he announced he had some things to take care of. Both Harry and I tried to pry information out of his stubborn, thick head, but we had no luck. All I know is that he's taken his motorbike."

"Brilliant." Remus sighed, rethinking his opinions on Sirius Black. "And other than that, how was your night?"

"Not bad." She smiled. "I found this book in the Diagon Alley library after work today, and I was hoping I'd be able to find something in it about our mysterious curse."

"Yeah? Any luck so far?"

Emmeline smiled regretfully. "Nothing yet, but that doesn't really mean anything; I'm only about a quarter of the way through."

He nodded and moved to the desk Emmeline was sitting at. He leaned down and kissed her thoroughly, leaving them both red in the face and breathing heavily.

"Wow," Emmeline said, a dopey smile on her face. "I missed you too."

Remus smiled back. "I'm sorry I'm late. We had a bit of an issue with a goblin."

"It's all right," she said dreamily.

Remus grinned a bit cockily and moved closer to her, his hand crawling up her arm. Emmeline's breathing increased in anticipation, and her eyes closed slowly. When his lips were a centimeter from hers, he reached for a quill and pulled away, earning an annoyed groan from his girlfriend. He winked as she opened her eyes, and stood, completely ignoring the indignant look sent his way. "Tease," she muttered.

Still grinning, Remus grabbed another chair, put an arm around the back of hers, and pulled the book she'd been studying for God knows how long closer so he could see it. "So is this any good?"

Rolling her eyes, Emmeline leaned against him and turned the book back a few aged, yellowed pages, moving her finger down a few paragraphs. "It's a wonderful read if you want to know how to torture your enemies to hell and back. I did find something that could possibly help Sirius, though. Listen to this: _'A wizard's magical ability is his way of life. Without it, most wizards wouldn't know what to do with themselves. There are a countless number of curses and spells that can temporarily drain magic from a wizard, but only one that can, and will, cause nearly permanent damage. The Sandbeed curse—named for Alfonso Sandbeed, the creator of the curse—is performed by placing the curse into some sort of object, most effectively a wizard's wand. Once the intended target attempts to use the wand, his powers are nearly automatically drained. If the wizard is lucky enough to live through the blast caused by the backfired curse, he will find himself powerless against even a harmless Cornish Pixie. The countercurse is currently unknown, but wizards in the rumored Department of Mysteries inside the Ministry of Magic have worked for years to counteract its effects'_," she finished.

"Hmm," Remus said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "Well, at least we have a name for it, and it's nothing so new that nobody's researching it... Is there anything about how long it lasts?"

"No." Emmeline sighed. "It says the curse could last anywhere from an hour to years depending on the wizard. As far as I can tell—I still want to do a bit more research before I tell anyone else—Sirius still has his magic; it's just lying dormant in his body and he's unable to reach it."

"So this could be psychological?"

"I don't think so," she replied. "That was my first theory, but if it'd been that simple, Healers would've known by now."

Feeling slightly disappointed, Remus nodded and sat back in his chair, rubbing his temples, trying to get rid of his headache. "I just wish there was something more I could do for him. Without magic, Sirius Black just isn't Sirius Black."

"That's not true and you know it," Emmeline said, taking his hand and rubbing his knuckles. He smiled at the ministrations. "He's still Sirius. He just can't be a lazy bum by conjuring and summoning everything he needs."

Remus laughed. "I think he's past that stage, thank Merlin. I think he's more worried about his role in the war, and if he'll be able to fight. He'd be absolutely destroyed if something happened to Harry and he couldn't do anything to help."

"He'd be just as upset if something happened to you, love."

"I know, but he knows I can handle myself. Harry can too, but he's only sixteen and he hasn't had much experience in defending himself. Dumbledore's suggested countless times we have him trained in defensive techniques. I think it's about time we look into it..."

Emmeline nodded and lifted Remus' hand to her lips. "I think that's a brilliant idea. That, combined with his Occlumency lessons, should help him out a great deal. Just let me know if you need help."

Remus smiled softly. "Have I ever told you how wonderful you are? Not only because you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, but because of the way you are with Harry and Sirius. There aren't a lot of women who are up to taking on the baggage of a werewolf, the world's most famous teenager, who's had death hits on him since before he was born, and Sirius Black."

Emmeline only shrugged. "I knew exactly what I was getting into when we started this relationship, Remus. I love you, and Harry, and at times, Sirius." Remus laughed. "And I know that, in order to be with you, I have to accept your family as well. Believe me, there's nothing in this world that could change that."

Remus wasn't sure how to reply to that, so he placed his free hand at the back of her neck and pulled her closer for a long kiss.

* * *

He stopped his prized motorcycle at a red light and took his helmet off momentarily to shake his long, shaggy hair from his eyes. He'd have to ask Emmeline if she'd cut it for him. He liked his long hair, but he also thought he looked rather striking with it cut just above his shoulders. Just before the light turned green again, Sirius replaced the helmet over his head, knowing he didn't need to add a head injury to his problems.

If he remembered correctly, his destination was only a few more blocks away. He'd meant to go there sooner, but it would take a long time to explain his reasoning to Remus, and he wasn't yet ready to face his best friend with this. He still wasn't even sure what was going on with this new situation, but he was willing to wait it out—it's not like he had anything else to do. He may have misplaced his trust at some point by ignoring certain facts because he was bored, but Sirius Black wasn't ever known to be a rational man.

He finally arrived at a rather attractive brick building with four visible levels to it. It was a wizard living space, so the inside had been expanded to allow more flats to be added into the building. He glanced up at the quarter moon, wondering if he was imagining the strange, green mist that floated across it, and entered the building, leaving his helmet and motorcycle near the entrance. Taking the stairs two at a time, Sirius quickly made it to the sixth level. He knocked on the door to flat 615 and waited for a hesitant voice to call out that they were on the way. He ran a hand through his hair, unsure as to why he was trying to look good for this. It wasn't like they were dating or anything...

The door opened and Sirius found himself facing tip of Naomi's wand. It took her a few seconds to realize who was standing before her, but when she did, she lowered her wand immediately. "Oh, Sirius, hey," she said, obviously a bit surprised to see him. She moved aside to allow him into her flat.

"What a greeting." Sirius grinned, going inside and looking around. "Don't think I've had such a friendly welcome since the time Lily used that boil hex on me when I showed up at her and James' place at two in the morning."

Naomi rolled her eyes but smiled, and gestured for Sirius to sit. "Usually I use an Invisibility charm on my door, but I'm too damn lazy tonight. You want something to drink? I was about to make some tea..."

"Yeah, that'd be great," he called as she entered the kitchen. "Why's it so dark in here? Were you having a séance before I arrived?" Indeed, the only lights in the entire flat seemed to be coming from everlasting candles in random places around the living room. The coffee table was littered with crumpled parchment, books, and what looked to be maps.

"Ha ha," Naomi finally replied. "No, actually, I'm in the middle of devising another strategic attack for the Death Eaters. Don't worry, the moment I finish and it's approved, I'll let you lot in on it."

Sirius sighed. She seemed to know what she was doing at least. She had charts and graphs, a magical compass that automatically calculated the distance between two points. Sirius vaguely wondered if Snape did the same things Naomi did, but he doubted it. He tried not to be too involved in what Snape did, but from what he understood, all the other wizard did was pass along information he heard from Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

"Tea is ready," Naomi announced. Sirius thought her cheerful demeanor seemed faked, and he decided he'd have to find out why. "Two sugars, cream, and just a squeeze of lemon, right?"

Sirius smiled and took the offered cup and saucer from the witch. "Perfect," he said after taking a sip. "Can't believe you remembered how I like my tea..."

Naomi sat across from him in her recliner with a smirk and sipped at her own tea. "I remember a lot, Black."

He chuckled. For a few minutes, the two sat in silence, each trapped inside their own thoughts. Finally, Sirius looked up and got a close-up glance at Naomi. Frowning, he wondered if it was the candlelight that made her look so battered. "Would it be too much trouble to turn on a light?" he asked.

"What's wrong, Sirius? Afraid of the dark, are you?" Naomi teased. Sirius could make out her grin by the candles.

"No, I just prefer conversations where I can see the person I'm conversing with."

"Fair enough."

Seconds later, the room filled with light, and Sirius, much to his disappointment, realized it hadn't been the candles that made her look like that. There were faded bruises across her cheek, and what looked to be a handprint around her neck. "What happened to you?" he asked, trying to sound flippant. "Get into a scuffle with a troll?"

Naomi averted her eyes. Obviously, she'd forgotten she had the bruises. "It's... nothing," she said lamely. Sirius raised an eyebrow. "I fell," she said, gesturing to her neck. "And the other night at the battle, I got a few more bruises."

Sirius wasn't buying it. "I wasn't aware a fall could cause a person to look as though they'd been strangled."

She sighed and placed her tea on the end table beside her chair. "Look, it's nothing. There's no need to worry—"

"Bullshit," Sirius said casually, wondering if Kingsley's notoriously calm spirit was keeping him this calm. "Why don't you tell me what really happened, and forget avoiding the truth. I may not have a wand, but I can get information out of people without the use of magic."

"So I hear," Naomi muttered.

"Malfoy did this to you, didn't he?" he asked bluntly. "He beat you up."

Her jaw clenched tightly. "It's not a big deal, Sirius, honestly. I've been dealing with Lucius Malfoy for years."

"Are you sleeping with him?" She hesitated and he nodded, not needing anymore of an answer. "Why?" he asked quietly.

"Because he tells me more than he would if I wasn't," she muttered, looking both defensive and ashamed. "It's not like I'm attracted to the man—I find him rather barbaric and repulsive, to be honest."

Sirius sighed. "There are other ways to get information, you know..."

"But this works best and it's quicker."

"You do realize he probably has a dozen diseases, don't you?"

Her lips twitched. "I've taken precautions..."

"You don't have to do this," he said quietly. "We appreciate what you're doing for us, but you're crossing the line a bit, don't you think?"

She shrugged. "Not really. I've learned things not even Snape has access to, and this is in addition to what I learn from Voldemort on a daily basis."

Sirius was very tempted to bring up the fact that she'd basically traded Remus Lupin for Lucius Malfoy. He resisted, however, keeping in mind that she had a wand and he didn't. "Just... just be careful, eh?" he requested softly.

"I will."

He nodded.

"So what're you doing here at—" Naomi looked at her clock. "—midnight?"

"I don't know. I got your letter today, and I was bored, so I thought I'd get out for a nighttime bike ride and come for a visit."

"You do know I'll see you at the Order meeting tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, but the only chance we get to talk is when Remus isn't in the room."

Naomi nodded, obviously not keen on the subject of her ex at the present time. "How's Harry feeling?"

"Better," Sirius said, smiling. "Remus and I gave him the pensieve Lily and James left him, and I'm pretty sure he's not even a quarter of the way through it."

"Yeah? Is he enjoying it?"

Sirius smiled widely, and he and Naomi got into a long discussion about anything that didn't involve the Remus, the war, and Voldemort. Sirius found it as easy to talk to her as with Remus. By the time he was ready to take his leave, it was nearly three in the morning "I should go. If I stay out any longer, Remus'll have half the Ministry out searching for me."

Naomi laughed and led him to the door where they stood a bit awkwardly for a few moments. "Thank you for dropping by," she said. "It's good to have someone not obsessed with death and destruction to talk to for a change."

"Anytime," Sirius said, feeling an odd pang in his stomach when he realized he meant it. "Thank you for the letters you've been sending. They've helped keep me mostly sane."

She laughed again and opened the door for him. "I'll see you at the meeting, then. Drive safely."

"I will," he said. "Good night."

"Good night."

Though he didn't look over his shoulder as he walked down the hall, he could feel Naomi's eyes on him the entire way, and found he didn't mind it one bit.


	6. Six

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Six_

The new Hogwarts term was quickly approaching. The staff was arriving to the castle two weeks before the students would join them, since Headmaster Dumbledore had called for a mandatory staff meeting. There still hadn't been an appointment for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts, and time was running short. Dumbledore had a few ideas about the position, but he was afraid the short list would all shut their doors in his face. He'd thought about asking one of his current staff members to teach Defense, and hiring someone new to a different post—perhaps then his candidates wouldn't be so hesitant to come back to the school. But who could he possibly use?

Severus was naturally the first idea that manifested in his mind whenever he thought of a new Defense professor. Unfortunately, over the last twenty years he'd needed many. For the last five years, he'd been rather lucky with his Defense selections—both Remus Lupin and Alastor Moody had been hits with the students, and between the two of them, the curse placed on the teaching position may have been broken. The only way to know for sure, though, would be to find someone willing to take the job.

A member of the Order was always a thought—with all the trouble Harry Potter usually found himself in during the school term alone, Hogwarts could always use more wizards trained in the ways of fighting Death Eaters.

Security was certainly one of the largest concerns on the old Headmaster's mind. He'd had many discussions with Minister Bones that past summer about increasing security around the school, and she would be stationing teams of Aurors in Hogsmeade to patrol both the village and the school routinely. Not to mention the wards and protections Dumbledore and select members of the Hogwarts staff had been placing around the school grounds. Since the Death Eater attack over a year and a half ago during the Triwizard Tournament, Dumbledore had become even more gripped with protecting the school and his students from further attack. None of the students had been seriously injured that night, thankfully, except Harry—he'd completely exhausted himself during his battle against Lord Voldemort.

Dumbledore was an intelligent man and he wasn't naïve enough to believe another attack on Hogwarts would never happen; but much like Sirius' and Remus' wish to put off Harry's final battle with Voldemort for as long as possible, he wanted to do the same with future attacks on his school. Hogwarts was protected by ancient magic; it was mostly good magic, but there was dark magic as well. Salazar Slytherin could be thanked for that. After the incident with the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore had kept his eyes wide open for any other hidden secrets or things that could potentially harm the residents of the school. He'd enlisted the help of Minerva McGonagall and Filius Flitwick on his searches, but so far they'd turned up nothing.

The spot in the Forbidden Forest that allowed Apparition and Disapparition had been assigned a guard since Hagrid's return to Hogwarts. The Care of Magical Creatures professor had arrived back on the grounds battered, bruised, and in the company of a giant. Grawp was his name, and Dumbledore soon learned that he was Hagrid's half-brother. Unable to turn the creature away, Dumbledore permitted Grawp to reside in the forest under the strict instructions not to harm any of the other animals or beings that were now his neighbors. Grawp would also capture anyone who appeared in the forest who didn't belong there. The charms around the Apparition spot were strong—Dumbledore had performed them himself—but there was always a loophole or backdoor in magical wards, if one knew where to look. So Grawp was an added precaution.

But back to the task at hand: Defense Against the Dark Arts. Minister Bones had offered to assign a professor if Dumbledore continued to have problems finding Alastor's replacement, but the aged wizard had declined—he would find a suitable professor, even if he himself had to take on the extra duties himself. It wasn't as though he didn't trust the Minister's judgment on selecting a professor, but it would be a person from within the Ministry of Magic, and the Ministry just couldn't afford to lose any more of their employees.

"What about Emmeline Vance?" Minerva asked, jolting Dumbledore from his thoughts. "She's well-trained in mind defense, and the students could benefit from that sort of precaution."

Dumbledore had to fight to keep his lips from twitching as he saw Severus straighten in his chair. "That is a wonderful suggestion, Minerva; however, Emmeline is needed in her own department at the Ministry. Minister Bones has recently informed me that Emmeline is to receive a promotion to the head of the Department of Magical Transportation, and I do not think it wise to have two department heads out of commission at the same time."

"The Aurors are doing well enough without Black," Severus said, examining his fingernails. "He was only ever a pretty face."

"So you are admitting that he has a pretty face, Severus?" Dumbledore asked with a straight face, his twinkling eyes nearly blinding. Severus pursed his lips and turned away as the other professors laughed. "I'm sure you have all realized," the headmaster continued, "that the Auror squad has suffered without Sirius Black. The effects of this may not be painfully evident as of yet, but with time, I am certain we will see what a difference Sirius has made. Now that Rufus Scrimgeour has officially returned to our Ministry, I expect drastic changes to be made—"

"Scrimgeour can't make changes!" Pomona Sprout exclaimed. "For one, he's not the Head Auror. Two, he's merely a member of the squads; he has no authority to make changes."

Dumbledore inclined his head. "This is true, Pomona. However, Rufus Scrimgeour has much influence over Auror Dawlish, who, as you know, is acting Head Auror in Sirius' stead. Dawlish does have much authority to suggest changes."

"Black may be unbearable and irresponsible at times, but I do believe he is one of the best Aurors the Ministry has had in years," Minerva said.

Again, Dumbledore fought to keep his lips from moving. No matter how often his Transfiguration mistress said Sirius Black was nothing but a troublemaker, she would unfailingly contradict herself later by complimenting him.

"That is something we agree on," the Headmaster said. "One of my fears concerning Sirius' current condition and its effects on the Ministry is Harry Potter's safety. Dawlish is far more concerned with his own agenda rather than working to keep our world from harm."

"Perhaps Black would have been far more successful had he gone that route to begin with," Severus said. "With Potter on his mind constantly, it makes it quite difficult to concentrate on capturing the criminals in our world."

Dumbledore sighed. "I do hope, Severus, that you do not honestly feel that way. Harry's safety and protection is a crucial factor in this war, and without him, our community would lose its hope. Harry may not be aware of it, and you may not be either, but he is a figure of hope for many."

"That is why our community has not succeeded yet—" Severus began.

Dumbledore closed his eyes and sighed. This had been a topic of argument between himself and Severus for many months, and Dumbledore always had the same reply: "Surely, Severus, you know better than that, given your role in this war." Luckily, Severus was sitting close to him, and none of the other staff members were able to overhear the quiet exchange. As usual, Severus had no response. He averted his eyes from the Headmaster's and sipped a glass of wine provided by the house-elves for the meeting.

"I do not believe we've reached a decision on our Defense Against the Dark Arts predicament, but we can continue another day," Dumbledore said. "Dinner is approaching and I for one am famished. So if you will all follow me to the Great Hall, I'm sure our marvelous house-elves will provide us with a delicious feast."

* * *

Sirius was about two seconds from banging his head against a wall. He was trying to help Harry with his Arithmancy homework, but since it hadn't exactly been his best subject in school, he was quickly growing frustrated. Remus and Emmeline had left for the evening on a date Sirius insisted they go out on. Remus was hesitant to agree—no one in the cottage had forgotten what happened last time Sirius and Harry remained alone together. But Sirius forced him to go and wouldn't take no for an answer.

When his godson had brought in his textbook for help, Sirius had been willing to help in anyway possible, but he was beginning to regret his decision. Arithmancy had been Remus' and Lily's subject in school—James' being Transfiguration, and Sirius' being Astronomy and Defense. He recalled Naomi wasn't too shabby with the subject, but calling her for help was out of the question; she'd been summoned early in the morning to meet with Voldemort, and nobody had heard from her. She'd promised Sirius she would get in touch the first spare, safe moment she had, so Sirius was just waiting to hear from her.

"Harry, I love you to death, really, I do, but there's just no way in hell I'm going to be able to do this rubbish," Sirius said. "Can it wait until tomorrow, when Remus is free?"

Harry shrugged. "I suppose. But I'm going to Diagon Alley with the Weasleys for school supplies."

"Well, I'm sure Remus, being the prestigious professor he is at heart, will be elated to assist you with this. And by the way, Arithmancy is useless for an Auror. Why are you even taking it?"

Harry shrugged again. "Seemed like a good idea at the time..."

Sirius shook his head in mock-disappointment. "You become more and more like Moony every day."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Depends on who you ask and what traits you've inherited."

Harry laughed, but didn't have a chance to reply due to a knock on the front door. The two wizards snapped their heads to the door and glanced back to one another for a few seconds. "You answer it," Sirius said quietly. "Keep your wand out and be ready for anything."

"But the wards would have gone off," Harry said, grabbing his wand from the coffee table. "If it was a Death Eater, we'd know, right?"

"Better safe than sorry, kid," Sirius said, standing and moving quietly to the front window while Harry positioned himself at the door. Sirius pulled the curtain aside and craned his neck just enough to see who'd come to visit. His eyebrows rose on their own accord when he recognized who was standing at the door. "What the hell is she doing here?"

"Who is it?"

"Naomi."

Harry's eyebrows rose as well as Sirius left the window and opened the front door. "Hey, what're you doing here?" he asked the witch.

Naomi bit her lip nervously. "I was in the neighborhood and I thought I'd stop by..."

"You were in the neighborhood?" Sirius repeated slowly. "You do realize we are in a forest and our closest neighbors are a good thirty miles away, right?"

Naomi sighed. "Fine, I wasn't in the neighborhood. But I had some time before I have to be at work, so I thought I'd drop by and say hi."

"Ah, well, in that case, come in," Sirius said happily, stepping aside. He glanced over his shoulder at Harry, who still held his wand tightly, eyeing the witch distrustfully. Naomi entered, smiling at Harry who stared stonily back, and followed Sirius into the living room, with Harry bringing up the rear. "Anyone want a drink?" Sirius asked, moving towards the kitchen. Naomi said she'd take a shot of firewhiskey if he had one, and though he hadn't requested it, Sirius got Harry a butterbeer.

Sirius worked quickly in the kitchen, not wanting to leave Harry alone with Naomi for too long. He didn't think Naomi would hurt his godson, but he knew Harry didn't trust her. One of the few traits he still had from his time with the Dursleys was his shyness around strangers. He didn't trust easily, which was good in a war, and until he did trust a person, which could take months depending on the person, he was always very wary.

Upon reentering the living room, Naomi and Harry sat in a tense silence. Harry's homework still sat on the coffee table, and Naomi was looking nervously from the pictures on the mantle to Harry. "Here you go, Harry," Sirius said, handing the boy his butterbeer. "And Naomi…" He handed her a shot glass and sat on the sofa. "Cheers," he said, clinking his glass with hers, and then with Harry's bottle, even though Harry made no move to show he even knew what was going on. Sirius wanted to ask Naomi how the Death Eater meeting had gone, but decided to wait until Harry was out of the room. She looked all right; she didn't seem to be in any pain that could have been caused by a Cruciatus Curse, so maybe everything had gone well that night.

"So where are Remus and Emmeline?" Naomi asked, setting her glass down on the table.

"Out on a date," Sirius replied, frowning when he noticed the slight sneer on Harry's face at Naomi's mention of Remus. "They haven't had much of chance to spend time together alone for a while, so Harry and I kicked them out."

Naomi actually smiled. "Good for them," she said quietly. Sirius felt a slight stinging in his stomach at the hint of sadness in her voice. He mentally slapped himself; why should he care that Naomi was jealous? They weren't dating—hell, they'd just recently become friends again. "They deserve some time together, between work and taking care of you," she teased.

"I can take care of myself just fine, thank you," Sirius said loftily. "In fact, I made a rather delicious dinner of roast beef tonight and Harry didn't even get sick off it."

Naomi laughed. "That's a bit of a shock." Sirius glared playfully. "I think the last time I had your cooking was at Lily and James' when you and James tried to barbeque on Lily's grill."

"You know, I've still got the scorch mark on my head from where my hair caught fire..."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," Naomi said gravely with a grin. "So who's doing homework?"

Sirius refilled his and Naomi's glasses, noticing Harry hadn't even taken a sip of his drink. "Harry. He's taking Arithmancy and I'm complete rubbish at it. I'm going to have Remus help him tomorrow."

"Arithmancy isn't that hard," Naomi said, picking up the book. "It was my best subject in school. Maybe I could help?"

"No, that's all right," Harry answered stiffly. "I'd rather Remus help if you don't mind."

Sirius frowned at his godson's frosty tone. It wasn't like him to be rude to people, no matter who they were. Snape didn't count. "Harry, why don't you go get ready for bed or something so Naomi and I can talk."

"It's eight o'clock," Harry said flatly.

"Well, then, go find something to occupy your time, please."

Harry glared at his godfather, visibly hesitant about leaving him alone with the witch—spy for the Order or not, Harry obviously had not one ounce of trust in Naomi. "I'll come by to say good night later. Please, Harry."

After a silent battle of wills, Harry folded with a sigh, sat his butterbeer bottle down a little harder than was necessary, snatched his book from Naomi's hands, and went to his room. Sirius watched him leave in disbelief. "Sorry about that. I don't know what's gotten into him..."

"Don't worry about it," Naomi said quietly. "It's understandable. He doesn't know me and he probably thinks I'm just Death Eater scum."

"Even still," Sirius said. "He's never like that..." He sighed. "So anything new going on in the Death Eater world?"

* * *

Remus and Emmeline strolled arm-in-arm along the seacoast in a comfortable silence. The wizard was thankful to his best friend for forcing him to go out that night—now that he thought on it, he and Emmeline had never been on a proper date since they'd gotten together. Every time they planned something, they would have to cancel due to an attack, or an Order meeting, or something related to Sirius and Harry.

Their night had been perfect so far. They'd started out at a nice French Muggle restaurant in London and then caught a film at the cinema. The plan had been to head back to the cottage after their show, but both were enjoying themselves, and who knew when they'd get another night out like this?

Remus glanced at his girlfriend out of the corner of his eye as they walked, still in awe at how amazing she looked that night. Her midnight black hair was pulled back, with a few curled strands hanging over her face. She wore a dark red dress that went up just past her knees with spaghetti straps and a low neckline. Neither of them had much reason to dress up anymore, so Remus rarely saw her in anything but Ministry robes and Muggle clothes. Of course, he didn't care what she wore—she was gorgeous no matter what, and just about all of her clothes brought out her warm brown eyes magnificently.

"Sickle for your thoughts, my love," she said, squeezing his arm gently.

He smiled and looked down at her. "I was just marveling about how incredibly breathtaking you look tonight."

She smiled back a bit shyly. "You're not looking too bad yourself."

Remus looked down at the simple button up shirt and slacks he'd borrowed from Sirius—they wore just about the same size clothes (Remus was only an inch shorter than his best friend), and Remus didn't have many dress clothes to wear on special occasions, so he'd raided Sirius' wardrobe earlier in the afternoon. The couple continued to walk down the beach, Remus trying to ignore the moon and the thought of how soon his next transformation would be coming. It was still a few days away, but he was already feeling tired and sore as his body prepared itself for the trauma of the transformation.

"Do you want to sit?" Emmeline asked.

"Yes, actually," he replied. He conjured a blanket for them to sit on and helped Emmeline lower herself to the ground before sitting beside her. He sighed happily as he laid back and Emmeline snuggled up against him, kissing his chest. He ran a hand through her hair, taking it out of the braid it was in, while his other arm supported his head.

He couldn't remember ever being this content and happy with anybody in his entire life. Of course, he didn't have much to compare it to—Emmeline and Naomi were the only serious girlfriends he'd ever had. He had dated a few times at Hogwarts, but ended the relationships before they became too involved. He always was afraid of being rejected when someone found out about his condition. But neither Emmeline nor Naomi had cared and they'd both told him so often—usually when he had doubts about furthering a relationship to the next stage.

Emmeline was so different from anybody he ever met. She was brilliant, beautiful, caring, funny—everything he ever desired in a woman. He tried not to compare her with Naomi—the two witches were almost complete opposites—but he realized that what he and Naomi had had didn't even begin to compare to what he had with Emmeline. Love wasn't a strong enough word to convey his feelings for Emmeline—he didn't think there were enough words in the English language, or any language for that matter, to describe his feelings for her. And it scared him a bit.

He was sure Emmeline was the one for him; the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with; the one he wanted a family with. They'd never discussed marriage in depth—Sirius teased them often about the subject, when they were planning on setting a date, and they'd jokingly reply. But Remus wasn't sure if Emmeline felt the same as he did. He knew she loved him, that much was obvious, but would she want to start a family with a werewolf?

"Can I ask you something, Remus?" Emmeline asked with what sounded like hesitance.

Remus furrowed his brow. "Of course. You can ask me anything..."

She positioned herself to be inclined beside him on her elbow and just watched him for a moment.

"What is it?" Remus asked, tracing a finger down her cheek.

She sighed. "Have you ever thought about having a family?" she asked. "A wife, maybe a few kids down the line..."

Remus shifted a bit to lie on his side facing her, wondering if she'd read his mind. "I've thought about it before, yes..."

"And do you want that?"

"I've always wanted a big family at some point, but every time I get the chance, I lose it." Emmeline nodded. Remus wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed. "What about you?"

"Yeah, I've always wanted a big family, too," she admitted with a small smile. "I've got my brothers in America, but I haven't seen them in years. I don't know... I was just curious, I suppose." Remus watched her trace circles on his chest for a few minutes. She looked to be steeling up the nerve to say something else. "Did you and Naomi ever discuss children?"

"Yes," he said. "We'd planned on three kids at least. We were going to expand the cottage just after our wedding for more living space, but you know how that turned out."

Again, she nodded silently. Her next question was barely audible. "Do you regret not being with her?"

"No," he said promptly. "She and I weren't meant to be and I know that now. I'm not going to lie to you—my relationship with Naomi was a dream come true for me. I'd never loved anybody the way I loved her..." Emmeline bit her lip and looked away from him to the sea. "That was until I met you, though. Well, met again, anyhow. I sometimes wonder how life would have turned out if we'd have stayed together, but then I realized I wouldn't have had the chance to be with you, and there's nothing that could change how I feel about you, Emmeline." She nodded again. Remus reached up and turned her to face him. "I'm in love with you so deeply it hurts sometimes. I wouldn't trade our relationship for anything in this world. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I want you to be the mother of my children, should I ever have any..."

Emmeline's jaw fell open a bit, and Remus grew a touch nervous. Maybe that hadn't been where she'd planned on taking the conversation. "If... if you don't want that, I understand," he said painfully, wishing it wasn't so dark that he couldn't see her expression.

"I do want that," she whispered, her voice catching a bit. Was she crying? Remus reached out a finger and felt warm tears fall from her eyes. "I want all of that, and I want it with you, Remus Lupin."

"You do?" he asked, not daring to get his hopes up.

"Yes," she said before leaning down to kiss him. He moaned softly as he realized his dream of having his own family might actually come true. Emmeline positioned herself on top of him, her legs straddling his waist, not once breaking their heated kiss. It was nearly sunrise before they returned to the cottage.


	7. Seven

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Seven_

The first of September seemed to arrive quicker than ever for Harry and his friends. A lot had happened over the summer which pushed time to go even faster, and Harry was having mixed feelings about returning to Hogwarts for the new term. For the last two years, he'd boarded the school train worrying about the fate of one of his guardians. Last year, he'd wondered if he'd ever see Remus again. No one had heard from him in weeks, and hopes of finding him alive had been wearing quite thin. But eventually, that had passed, and Remus had returned home beaten, battered, and tortured, but otherwise just fine. This year, Harry was concerned for his godfather and whether the wizard would ever regain his magical powers. Remus had assured him countless times that Sirius would be fine, and that he and Emmeline wouldn't let anything happen to him. Remus would never lie to Harry, and Harry knew Remus would do anything and everything he could to be sure no harm came to Sirius.

But Harry still worried.

The morning was unusually cold for a September day, so Harry and his family arrived at King's Cross station wearing heavy jackets. Security between the barriers of the magical and Muggle world was particularly heavy this year, with Aurors in Muggle clothing standing guard, searching trunks and bodies as they arrived. This year, Minister Bones wasn't permitting anybody but students to cross to Platform 9 ¾ due to Lucius Malfoy's appearance at the station at the end of the last term. Wizarding families were encouraged to wear their own Muggle clothing to avoid arousal of suspicion by London's daily commuters, which made for a rather humorous sight—almost as funny as the Quidditch World Cup a few years back.

Molly Weasley spent half an hour saying goodbye to each of her children, as well as Harry and Hermione, leaving only minutes for Sirius and Remus to say goodbye to their ward. Sirius tried to convince the Auror standing outside the platform to at least let him through—he was the Head Auror, after all. Auror Johnson denied him entry, apologizing profusely, but having to follow his orders. Sirius muttered angrily about Dawlish's orders, promising to have a word with his temporary replacement soon, but didn't protest. He and Remus pulled Harry aside just before he had to board the Hogwarts Express.

"Be good," Remus said, hugging Harry tightly. "I don't think we need to go through the usual speech, do we?"

Harry laughed. "No, I promise I'll be good."

Remus smiled, kissed the top of his head and ruffled his hair, then stepped aside for Sirius.

"Take care of yourself, kid," Sirius said a bit hoarsely, noticing Harry was nearly as tall as he was now. "Write often. And good luck with Quidditch this year, Captain."

Harry smiled widely. He'd received his Hogwarts letter two weeks before, finding it to be a bit heavier than usual. It turned out he'd named the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, replacing Angelina Johnson, who'd graduated. Harry had been surprised, to say the least; considering what had happened over the summer, he had hardly expected to be named captain. He hadn't even thought about it during the summer.

Emmeline said goodbye last, kissing and hugging Harry as a mother would her son. Remus didn't miss the look on Molly's face as his girlfriend attempted to flatten the hair he'd just messed up.

"Alright, you lot!" Molly called ten minutes to eleven. "Time to go. Have a good term and we'll see you at Christmas."

Harry gave his family one last smile and wave before he pushed his trolley through the barrier.

* * *

Sirius sighed heavily as his godson disappeared, unsure of what to do next. Normally after Harry left for school, he'd go to work and keep busy so as to keep from thinking about what could, and probably would, happen that year. But now he was temporarily suspended from the Ministry, without any magic whatsoever.

"C'mon, Padfoot," Remus said quietly, placing a hand on the wizard's shoulder. "Time to go home, mate."

Sirius nodded pensively and followed his friends out of the train station. He said goodbye to his Aurors as he went, and the group piled into a Ministry car to take them back to the cottage. Molly and Arthur Apparated back to the Burrow, saying they'd have to meet up for dinner later in the week.

The car ride back was rather silent as Sirius stared out the window at the grey skies, expecting rain very soon. He liked the rain. It was calming, and though many felt depressed when it rained, he was his happiest during heavy storms. He and Julia used to sit on the covered patio at his old flat when it rained, not needing to say anything. They'd just cuddle in a chair until the storms passed.

"So who wants lunch?" Remus asked when they reached the cottage. Sirius rolled his eyes but smiled as he exited the car. Remus knew food was the best way to get Sirius out of one of his moods.

* * *

The Great Hall was in a state of absolute shock following Dumbledore's yearly welcoming speech that night. There'd been absolutely no warning to prepare any of the students for the news the Headmaster had just announced. Harry was actually a little afraid to write home to tell his guardians. He didn't think Sirius or Remus knew anything about this or they would have told him. And if they had known, Sirius would have tried to keep him home from school that year.

"Has Dumbledore lost his bloody mind?" Ron whispered hoarsely, almost drown out by the din of the mutterings of other students. "I mean, I know the man's a genius and all, but... _what the hell_?"

Harry shook his head in disbelief as he stared at the staff table. "I know he was having trouble finding a new teacher, but this is insane."

"Dumbledore has his reasons, I'm sure," Hermione said doubtfully.

"There's a reason he never got the job, 'Mione," Ron argued. "He's been passed up for it for how long? Why's he suddenly getting it now?"

"Maybe Snape's done something to convince Dumbledore he deserves it," Ginny said quietly, looking just as shocked as the rest of the students.

"Or maybe he cursed Dumbledore over the summer. Confunded him into giving him the job," Ron said darkly.

"Come off it," Harry said. "Snape wouldn't have the nerve to curse Dumbledore."

"Well, what's done is done," Hermione said, scooping treacle tart onto her plate. "Does anyone know anything about this Slughorn guy?"

Harry moved his eyes away from Snape's triumphant smirk to the great walrus of a wizard sitting beside McGonagall. "I know he taught here when Sirius, Remus, and my folks were here. But I don't know much about him."

Ron sighed. "It's going to be a long year," he groaned miserably, picking at his cake. He seemed to have lost his appetite.

* * *

The news of Severus Snape finally getting his dream job as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor reached the ears of the cottage residents three days after the Hogwarts term began. For a while, the small house was filled with colorful curses and what Remus thought to be a few made up words from Sirius mouth. Only after a rather ugly lamp that had once sat on an end table in the living room had been thrown against a wall and shattered into a fine dust under Sirius' weight was the wizard calm enough to talk to. Emmeline had wisely left the room during the outburst for Remus to deal with, and when she returned thirty minutes later with tea and a few shots of firewhiskey, she seemed to have trouble keeping her lips from twitching.

"Impressive," she muttered into Remus' ear as she examined what was left of the lamp. "I knew he had a temper, but you never told me his vocabulary was so..."

"Extensive? Creative? Dirty?" Remus suggested with a grin.

"Dirty works." She chuckled.

Once Sirius had caught his breath and the redness in his face had faded somewhat, he gratefully accepted Emmeline's spiked tea and sat in his armchair. "Has Dumbledore gone mad?" was the first lucid thing out of his mouth.

"He has his reasons," Remus said calmly. "Just because he doesn't let you in on everything he does, doesn't mean he doesn't know what he's doing."

Emmeline got the vague impression the two friends had had this conversation numerous times before.

"It's bad enough he's got Snape teaching, period, but to put him in a position like this..." Sirius shook his head. "I just don't get it."

"Severus knows the subject, Sirius," Emmeline interjected. "He's been studying every aspect of it since he was eleven. Maybe even longer."

"I have no doubt that he knows the subject, Emmeline, but he also knows Potions. Why can't he just stick with that?" Sirius muttered angrily.

Remus massaged his temples as though he was getting a migraine. Emmeline noticed he'd been getting frequent headaches over the last few days, but he would always just take a headache potion and insist he was fine.

"Obviously Dumbledore wants Slughorn at the school, for whatever reason. And since Slughorn doesn't know much about Defense, Potions was the only logical choice," Remus said quietly as though he hoped that by lowering his own voice, Sirius would lower his as well.

"He could have found someone better than Slughorn for that, too," Sirius muttered.

Remus shook his head hopelessly. "You can ask Dumbledore yourself at the next Order meeting. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to shower before dinner." He kissed Emmeline quickly and left the two of them to finish their tea.

"Are you worried about Severus teaching Harry Defense?" Emmeline asked finally as Sirius stared angrily at the empty fireplace.

"It's not just that," Sirius responded. Emmeline was slightly surprised at how calm his tone was. "I went to school with him, I know what he's capable of teaching those kids, and I only hope Dumbledore will keep a close watch on his lesson plans."

"He knows what he's doing. He's more learned in Defense than half of the professors Hogwarts has had in years. Except Remus, of course," she added.

"You're probably right. But he's too concerned with the dark aspect of the subject rather than the actual defensive parts," Sirius said stubbornly. "Look, I know you've got a history with him, but so do I. I don't trust him and I never will, no matter what he's done to help the Order and Harry."

Emmeline sighed, knowing it was a lost cause, but that she'd done her best. She and Severus Snape had had their two-year relationship, and in that time, Emmeline had found him not to be as bad as everyone thought. But convincing the rest of the world was nearly impossible, so she rarely tried anymore. "I'm going to check on dinner," she said quietly as Sirius gulped the last of his tea. "See you in a few."

* * *

Remus felt terrible as he stared into the bathroom mirror. His headaches had gotten to the point that not even Madam Pomfrey's extra-strength headache potions helped. If this kept up, he'd have to see one of the Healers at the Ministry. A new level had been added into the building to house sick witches and wizards. Apparition was permitted into the temporary hospital, but the patients weren't allowed to wander the Ministry itself.

But Remus hated hospitals; he had since he was a small boy. Ever since he'd been bitten, he associated hospitals with tests and pain and people examining every inch of his body. Therefore, he avoided visits to see Healers as often as possible.

His head felt heavy as a bludger and the pounding made him think there was a Beater who was very much on aim that day. It was nothing like any other headache he'd ever experienced. At first, he thought he was just having really bad migraines, but he'd tried all the charms he could think of that could rid him of a migraine, and they only seemed to make it worse. His vision had become a little cloudy and his sinuses felt swollen. Maybe he was just getting a cold? No, he didn't have any other symptoms of a cold—he hadn't been sneezing or coughing, and the only time he felt weak was when he had one of these headaches.

_Perhaps a nice steamy shower will help_, he thought desperately, wincing as he turned his head too fast towards the shower. He turned on the water and undressed, waiting for the room to fill with the hot steam. Once in the shower, he laid his head against the cool tiles, letting the hot water stream across his body, hoping the steam would clear his head a bit. He tried not to think of anything that could stress him any further as he felt the sharp, throbbing pain in his head subside just a touch.

Of course, the news of Dumbledore's decision regarding Defense Against the Dark Arts was at the forefront of his mind, and it was hard to forget. Remus repeatedly told himself that Dumbledore knew what he was doing, but deep down, he agreed with Sirius—Snape teaching Defense lessons wasn't one of the best decisions the headmaster had ever made.

_But he _does_ know what he's doing_, Remus thought again. _He trusted me when no one else in the wizarding world would—both as a child and an adult. He'd never do anything to put his students in jeopardy. To him, the students are his children, and he's highly protective of them. He probably sat awake for days thinking this over—_

Remus gasped sharply as the pain in his head returned full force in the company of the worst stomach cramps imaginable. All of a sudden, his legs felt like limp noodles, and before he could catch himself, he fell, hitting his head on the edge of the bathtub.

* * *

Sirius nearly dropped the dinner bowls he'd taken form the cabinet when he heard a dull _thud_ come from the bathroom. He frowned as he got a better hold of the bowls and turned to look at Emmeline, who'd been stirring the stew she'd prepared for dinner. She glanced from him to the hallway for a few seconds before abandoning the food and rushing towards the bathroom.

"Remus, are you all right?" she called, opening the door. "Oh god! Sirius!"

This time the bowls did fall to the floor, but didn't shatter—Remus had put unbreakable charms on them in case Sirius ever had the urge to throw something.

"What happened?" he asked when he reached the bathroom. He could barely see a thing through the thick steam, but he could make out Emmeline kneeling beside the tub.

"Looks like he passed out and hit his head," she said quietly, reaching over to turn off the hot water. "Here, hand me a towel and help me get him out of here."

Sirius nodded and did as told, going to the linen closet for a fresh towel and stopping in the kitchen for Emmeline's wand. When he returned, she was using a washcloth to clean up some of the blood flowing freely from the gash on Remus' forehead.

"Here you go," Sirius said. "What do you reckon happened?"

Emmeline shrugged. "_Mobilicorpus_," she muttered, raising Remus from the tub and gesturing for Sirius to cover him with a towel. "I have no idea," she said, answering Sirius' question as she guided Remus out of the bedroom and into his and Emmeline's bedroom. "Maybe it was his headaches...?"

"Should we try and wake him or should we call someone?"

Emmeline gently placed Remus in the middle of their bed and found a throw blanket to cover him. She muttered a quick drying charm over him and sat on the bed's edge. "Didn't you say Ted Tonks is a Healer? We could probably get him... I don't think we should call Madam Pomfrey; you know how fast news travels through Hogwarts. By the time it reaches Harry's ears, Remus will have had his soul sucked out by a dementor, been attacked by rabid nifflers, and the fact that he's actually Voldemort in disguise will have finally been revealed."

"Sounds like something Rita Skeeter would come up with," Sirius said, relieved to see Remus' chest moving up and down. Emmeline didn't reply; she was moving the hair out of Remus' eyes to feel his forehead. "I'll go call Ted, then."

He moved swiftly through the cottage, grabbed the jar of Floo powder, and fell to his knees in front of the fireplace. After throwing in a handful of the greenish-blue dust— knowing he didn't need that much—he called out his cousins' address and stuck his head into the bright green flames. The front room of the Tonkses' home was empty, save for a pizza box and Muggle beer bottles. Sirius recalled that Ted enjoyed watching Muggle sports and today was some sort of football championship.

"Andy! Ted! Are you home?" he called. After a few seconds, he heard hurried footsteps and spotted Andromeda enter the room out of the corner of his eye.

"Sirius?" his favorite cousin said, kneeling to his eye level. "What are you doing here?"

"Is Ted home?" the wizard asked in a rush. "There's something wrong with Remus, and we need him to come over."

Andromeda's eyebrows shot up a little. "Yes, of course, he's just upstairs. I'll get him and send him over..."

* * *

Remus' forehead was burning up, and Emmeline did her best to lower the temperature by using a mix of cooling charms and wet washcloths. His breathing was shaky and raspy, and his chest was moving erratically. Emmeline pulled the blankets covering Remus down to his waist and gasped, spotting a large rash covering his stomach, and spots that looked like white burn marks in various areas—they seemed to grow as the seconds went on. They looked as though they'd only recently appeared—Emmeline hadn't noticed them before, and she was sure if Remus had, he would have said something.

"Hold on, Remus," Emmeline whispered, holding his hand tightly. "Just hold on, you'll be fine soon..."

Emmeline was nowhere near being a trained Healer, but she could fix her fair share of minor injuries. Whatever was wrong with Remus may have been caused by a poison—how could that be, though? Remus had the weekend off from the Ministry and he'd spent the majority of the time at the cottage with Sirius. He'd gone to Diagon Alley for an hour or two the day before, but if his headaches were any indication, he'd been ill for days.

"Why do you have to be so bloody stubborn?" Emmeline asked him quietly. "We could have helped you earlier if you hadn't played it off as nothing..."

Sirius and Ted returned to the bedroom minutes later, and Emmeline relinquished her spot on the bed to give the Healer room to work. She stood next to Sirius, and he placed an arm around her shoulder, rubbing her arm in comfort. She laid her head against his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. He whispered that everything would be all right, that Remus was a fighter, and she wanted to believe him.

Ted worked silently, his face betraying nothing as he waved his wand across Remus' body, muttering charms and spells rapidly. Colorful smoke emitted from the tip of the Healer's wand, but since neither of the other two knew a damn thing about Healing, they didn't know if the results were good or bad. Half an hour later, Emmeline looked up as she heard Sirius sniff a bit. He wasn't crying, but frowning.

'What?' she mouthed.

"Shit," he said aloud, releasing Emmeline. "Forgot about dinner..."

Emmeline couldn't help but laugh a little as Sirius sprinted to the kitchen to turn the stove off. He returned quickly, shaking his head, and leaning against the wall. "Ruined?" Emmeline asked quietly.

"Of course."

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Ted sighed and stood up straight, turning to face the other two. "You said he's been having headaches?" he asked.

Emmeline nodded. "For a few days. He's been taking headache potions and then telling us he's fine afterwards, but..." she trailed off, shrugging. "I just don't know."

"What do you think is wrong with him?" Sirius asked.

"Has he come into contact with silver in the last month or so?" Ted asked, sitting at a desk chair.

Both Emmeline and Sirius raised their eyebrows. "Not that I know of," Sirius said slowly. "He might have, but he's usually careful about that sort of thing."

Ted nodded, frowning in thought. "Well, here's the thing: Werewolves, when they come in contact with a minimal amount of silver, say an earring, will have no reaction. It differs case by case, as many things do. However, when a great amount of silver is present, and put in contact with a werewolf, it can cause sufficient damage. If Remus had merely _touched_ the silver, this rash on his stomach and the white spots would be on his hands and fingers instead."

"Not really following you, Teddy," Sirius said.

Ted smiled a little. "Right. Okay. I'll get to the point. I found large traces of silver in Remus' bloodstream and stomach. This would, naturally, suggest he somehow ingested silver. It's not regular, every day silver, either; it's pure silver."

Emmeline began to shake and Sirius grabbed her shoulders before her knees gave out. "How is that possible?" she breathed. "Why would he ingest silver?"

"And can you help him?" Sirius asked.

"I can help him, yes," Ted said. "I'm guessing he takes the Wolfsbane Potion before the full moon, and that's helped him a lot—it kept the silver from traveling through his body too quickly. I've already Vanished all the silver I was able to find, and I'm going to give him a blood replenishment potion. I'm also going to apply a cream to help get rid of his rash. He'll be fine," he assured the two. "He's very lucky to have lived through this—normally, a werewolf would have died the moment the silver touched his lips. He'll need bed rest, of course. I wouldn't let him go into work for a few days until you're sure he's better. But don't take his word for it. Do you have any idea as to how this could have happened? Has he gone to any strange restaurants recently?"

Emmeline shook her head. "The last time he and I ate out was before Harry went back to school. He might have had something then..."

* * *

Naomi rolled her eyes as Lucius rolled off her, breathing and sweating heavily, and obviously highly satisfied. _Well, that's one of us, at least_, she thought irritably. As always, she felt dirty and used, but she had to wait for him to finally pass out before going for a long shower, during which she would scrub her body until it was red and raw. She tried not to touch anything in the bed while she waited—there was an unidentified and rather disgusting spot between her and Lucius that she'd rather not explore.

The bastard beside her was still breathing heavily fifteen minutes later. This was odd; normally, he fell asleep almost immediately after having his evening fun.

This hadn't been her plan for the evening—of course, it never was. She'd been preparing a group of Death Eaters for an attack in a few days, and Lucius had wandered into the training room with a look in his eyes she was all too familiar with. Apparently, Narcissa wasn't able to satisfy him this week, and he was very eager. She had the bruises on her shoulder to prove it. She'd been using glamour charms to hide the injuries he gave her during their encounters—Sirius had caught onto her little game, but the rest of the Order hadn't, and she didn't intend them to. She could handle herself—she had been for months now—and all that would come from the rest of the Order would be looks of disgust. She already got enough of those from Emmeline Vance.

At long last, Lucius' snores filled her ears and she felt it safe enough to sneak out of the bed, shower, and get dressed. She moved quickly, anxious to get back to her own flat—she was opening and running the Leaky Cauldron for Tom that week while he visited his family in Ireland.

The green mist that had begun to fill the Dark Lord's castle hideout weeks ago was thickening, and the stone corridors were near freezing. The Dark Lord was perfectly content with the atmosphere, though—anything that kept him content was a good thing for his Death Eaters and a bad thing for his enemies.

The Apparition chamber in the Dark Lord's quarters were near Malfoy's own quarters, so Naomi didn't have to remain much longer. With a heavy sigh, she Apparated back to her flat, desperate for a tall glass of firewhiskey before bed.


	8. Eight

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Eight_

Defense Against the Dark Arts had never been less interesting for Harry than it was with Severus Snape teaching the class. He'd thoroughly enjoyed the subject when Remus and Mad-Eye were the professors—at least they taught the students things they could use in the real world. Snape described the topics of his lessons as something almost holy. They had been learning, though—right now they were practicing using curses without speaking. But Snape always had an evil glint in his eyes these days (Ron called it evil; Hermione called it passion) when he explained the effects of curses and hexes used by dark wizards.

Harry actually failed his first quiz of the term—the first time he'd ever failed anything in Defense Against the Dark Arts. He suspected it was related to the fact that Snape despised him. Harry hadn't gotten a reply from his guardians, but he expected a letter full of grease and Mister Potato Head jokes soon.

Potions had been an interesting experience. The new professor, Horace Slughorn, tended to get a bit overexcited about the subject—or maybe it was that he had Harry in his classes. From what he'd heard of Slughorn from Sirius and Remus, the old Potions professor liked to pick favorites. Harry's mum had been one of those favorites when she'd attended Hogwarts, but then, she'd also been brilliant at Potions, unlike Harry. Slughorn cornered Harry after the very first lesson of the term and started gushing on and on about how wonderful his mother had been, and of course, that he, Harry, was probably just as, if not more, incredible.

Harry wasn't stupid. He may have played stupid often in the past—yet another trait inherited from his godfather—but he knew when someone was kissing the arse of the Boy-Who-Lived. He'd grown up knowing what he was to the wizarding world, and that there would be those who would try and befriend him because of what had happened between him and Voldemort on that fateful Halloween night. For the most part, he'd grown up without too much trouble of people goggling at him, but there were still cases, like Slughorn, that wanted to brag that they'd shaken his hand.

He decided early on to avoid the new Potions Master as much as possible. He didn't need another person looking at him as nothing but a famous scar, a legend—that's what he had most of Hogwarts for, after all.

In addition to the changes in the staff, Harry was noticing odd things around him. Granted, he was a magnet for odd things, but this was about as odd as it could get. Draco Malfoy hadn't made one snide, sneering remark to Harry or any of his friends since the beginning of term. In fact, Malfoy hadn't said one word to Harry yet — which was strange, because Harry had been dreading his return to Hogwarts for the sole reason that he'd expected Malfoy to start talking rubbish about how Sirius had lost his powers. Not that he was complaining; he was just kind of confused. Ever since their very first meeting aboard the Hogwarts Express first year, Malfoy had made it a habit to harass Harry, his friends, and his family in any way possible, every chance he got. Harry pointed out this new, strange development to his friends who just told him to count his blessings—the less Malfoy said, the less chance Harry had of earning another detention for hexing the twitchy little ferret.

But away from Ron and Hermione's ears—they'd gone out on Prefect duties—Ginny told Harry she'd noticed Malfoy looking rather ill as of late. The next morning, Harry saw for himself that his childhood nemesis looked rather exhausted and pale, as though, not only had he not slept in weeks, but had been in a certain amount of pain no long ago.

"Good," was Harry's response. "He deserves everything he gets. He's probably a Death Eater by now, anyway."

"He's not his father, Harry," Ginny said from her side of the Gryffindor common room sofa, her legs resting in Harry's lap. "Just because his father is an evil bastard with no sense of morality, it doesn't mean he's like that too."

"Like father, like son," Harry muttered, staring at the fireplace. "That's what Sirius always says about me and my dad."

Ginny sighed. "I can see your point, but you and your dad, and Draco and his dad are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum. I'm not saying Draco doesn't have his moments, but his father had all that time to become what he is now, and he's been on the run for ten years. How do you know he's had the chance to corrupt Draco?"

"I don't," Harry admitted resignedly. "But I do know Lucius Malfoy's been visiting home for at least a few months." At Ginny's questioning glance, he told her about how Naomi showed up at the cottage late one night and told them how Lucius was using Polyjuice Potion to get around undetected by the Ministry.

"That doesn't surprise me somehow," Ginny said. Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "Think about it, Harry. He's one of You-Know-Who's top guys; of course he's going to have to get out and about."

"I really hope Sirius is the one to catch him," Harry said, grinning mischievously. "He's been telling me for years what he wants to do to the git."

"_He_ would deserve everything he gets. And yes, I'd like to see Sirius dish out his own brand of justice after what he's done to you three over the years."

Harry's smiled began to fade after a few moments. "It's going to get worse, isn't it?" he asked, looking back to the fire. "I mean, giants in London can't be the worse thing Voldemort's got, right?"

Ginny shrugged silently. "Bill's told me all sorts of stories of things he remembers of the first war, and so far, we haven't even gotten to the worst parts of the stories..."

* * *

As we all know, if there is one thing Sirius Orion Black hates more than anything in the world, it's waiting. Since his accident inside the Ministry, all he'd done was wait—wait for someone to find out about the curse; wait for Voldemort to burst out of the woods and march right into the cottage (Sirius knew the only thing keeping the Dark Lord from finding them was himself); and now he was waiting to see if his best friend would ever wake up again. Again.

It had been over two days since Remus collapsed in the bathroom, and only now was he showing signs of normalcy. The rash caused by the ingested silver had mostly faded, and his breathing was back to normal, but he was still quite pale.

_Don't know why I'm so surprised about that; he looks like that ninety percent of the time_, Sirius thought as he carried a tea tray for him and Emmeline to Remus' bedroom.

One thing he could say about Emmeline was that she was loyal. She hadn't left her boyfriend's side for longer than ten minutes since Ted left a few evenings before. Though she'd been expected into work, she sent the Minister an owl, begging a short leave of absence to be with Remus. Instead of replying by letter, the Minister Flooed to the cottage to check on Remus herself, and granted Emmeline her time off.

During the Minister's hour-long visit, Sirius had politely inquired about Rufus Scrimgeour's return to the Ministry. Bones laughed at Sirius' barely concealed hatred of the other wizard and told him he was more than welcome to do what he wished with Scrimgeour when he returned to the Ministry himself. She said the Ministry really did need all the decent Aurors they could get; and that Sirius was worth ten Aurors in her eyes. At that comment, Sirius' attitude on Scrimgeour dampened just a bit.

When he entered Remus' bedroom, Emmeline was sitting against the headboard of the bed beside Remus' still unconscious form, reading the _Daily Prophet_, just as expected. Ted said it may take a few days for Remus' body to purge what was left of the silver—the potions he took would make the silver disintegrate into nothing—but until that happened, all they could do was keep him comfortable as possible.

"Thirsty?" Sirius asked quietly, setting the tray on Remus' desk, and pulling out a chair to sit on.

"Thank you," Emmeline said with a smile, accepting the teacup and small plate of biscuits gratefully.

Sirius sat in his chair backwards on Remus' side of the bed and placed his tea on the bedside table. "Any change?" he asked.

"It's only been fifteen minutes, Sirius," Emmeline said, her lips quirking.

He shrugged. "A lot can happen in fifteen minutes."

"Very true," she conceded with a nod. "He moaned a little, but other than that, he's done nothing but lie there."

Sirius nodded, folding his arms across the back of his chair and resting his chin on them. He'd been trying to figure out how Remus was able to drink pure silver without knowing what it was. The cynical part of his mind that only showed itself during the worst of times tried to tell him Remus _had _known what he was doing, and that he'd done it on purpose. But Remus would never do that. Just the other day, he was telling Sirius how he was the happiest he'd been in many years. He'd never throw away his life like that.

The only other explanation was that someone had mixed it into his drink or one of his meals in the last few days. Remus, just like Sirius and Harry, had many enemies in this war, so narrowing the list to just one person would take days, unless Remus could tell them what happened.

_And we can't ask the wanker until he wakes up,_ Sirius thought. _Until then, I'll just keep brooding. I've always done my best thinking while brooding, so maybe I'll figure something out..._

An hour went by without any change except Emmeline's sliding down on the bed, snuggling against Remus, and falling asleep. Thinking she had the right idea (except the whole snuggling against Remus part), Sirius closed his eyes.

* * *

_Remus was in a very unfamiliar place. He was surrounded by nothing but trees and grass, and it wasn't the familiar forests of his childhood home. Straight ahead of him was a grand manor with windows that rose the length of two stories, and a tall iron-wrought gate surrounding its grounds. He didn't know why, but there was something in that manor he wanted to see very badly. He _needed_ to see it. His life would never be the same if he didn't see this..._

_Of their own accord, his feet took him up a gravel path and through the gate, which opened when he approached and closed behind him. He walked up a grassy knoll to the large double doors. Instinct and his mother's teachings told him it was only polite to knock, but he didn't think he needed to—it was as if he belonged here. In fact, just as his hand reached out to open the door, it too opened of its own accord. _

_The front hall had high ceilings and golden chandeliers leading the way down the hallway. Elaborate vases sat on either side of the door, filled with fresh, colorful flowers, and the wooden floor had been shined to the point that Remus could see his reflection in it._

Very nice_, he thought approvingly, looking around at the white marble staircase that led to a second level. He had a feeling that here were at least three more levels to this place. _I wouldn't mind living here with Emmeline...

_A pang of guilt struck at his heart at the thought of his girlfriend—it was as if he shouldn't be thinking of her, he had other, more important things to think about._ But nothing's more important to me than Emmeline and my family,_ he thought firmly. _No matter what this little dream world tries to tell me.

_That was about as much of an explanation he'd gotten about this place: it was indeed a dream. He knew this because when he looked down at himself, he was wearing a pair of red flannel pajama bottoms and nothing else. _Might as well see where this is going,_ he thought with a mental sigh._ It's not like I've got much else to do...

_His feet began to move again, but instead of going down the hallway as he'd expected to do, he went up the staircase, marveling at the smooth texture of the rail. _Okay, if that impresses me_, he thought with a smirk,_ I've been spending way too much time with Sirius.

_Obviously his feet had been to this place before—they led him expertly to another set of stairs, up to the third level and down the hall to a door that was left half open. He pushed it open fully and felt his eyebrows meet his hairline (as Sirius had long ago said they would do) when he spotted himself leaning over a baby's cot. Curious, he took a few steps forward to the other side of the cot and looked inside. Sitting on top of a pink blanket was the most beautiful baby he'd ever seen. She had thin blonde hair and brilliant hazel eyes. She was speaking in a language only people of her age group (_She can't be more than a year old,_ Remus thought) could understand as she stared at a mobile above her head._

_The man leaning against the bars—the dream-Remus—had a look of pure joy on his face as he watched the child (_His daughter, maybe?). _The real-Remus had seen that look before on James when the Marauders would sneak up on him in Harry's nursery._

_The dream-Remus reached out a hand and very gently smoothed the girl's hair back, smiling as he did so. The real-Remus frowned slightly as his counterpart jerked back his arm as though he'd been burned, but he didn't see anything physically wrong with the other man until—_

_His thoughts stopped abruptly as dream-Remus rolled back the left sleeve of his robes and examined the black mark on his forearm. This Remus had the Dark Mark..._

_Thinking this was the oddest dream he'd ever had, the real-Remus heard hurried footsteps down the hallway just before the door of the nursery burst open. The little girl started a bit and ceased her meaningless mumblings, but otherwise made no sign to show she noticed anything. Naomi entered the room, clenching her own forearm, wide-eyed and frightened._

"_Did you feel it?" she asked dream-Remus breathlessly._

_He nodded. "Yes... I don't think it's anything to worry about just yet; they're only a bit irritated, and until they're clear again, there's no need to respond."_

_Naomi bit her lip and entered the room further. Dream-Remus' arms encircled her waist tightly and she wrapped hers around his neck. The real-Remus just now noticed they wore matching wedding bands._

"_Why does this have to happen now? Why couldn't it have waited for a few more years, or even better, a few more centuries?" Naomi asked, her voice muffled in her husband's chest._

"_I don't know, love," he whispered into her hair, rocking her in comfort. "We knew this would happen."_

_She nodded into his chest and muttered something into his robes that made him chuckle. He said something back that the real-Remus couldn't make out, but he saw Naomi shake in silent laughter. The couple released one another, Naomi wiping at her eyes with her sleeve and moved past dream-Remus to look into the cot. "What will we do about the kids, Remus?" she asked. "They can't come with us..."_

"_No, they won't. We'll figure something out," dream-Remus said soothingly. "That's what we have nannies and house-elves for. I don't want them there either."_

"_Adam is going to ask questions, you know. He's going to want to know where we've gotten to."_

"_We'll tell him when the time is right. He's old enough to understand now, and there's no reason to keep it from him."_

"_He's only _twelve_!" Naomi whispered loudly. "How is that old enough? I'm not even old enough to understand what we've gotten ourselves into…"_

"_He'll be just fine," he said uncertainly. "As will Jake and Elizabeth."_

"_Do you ever wonder if we made the wrong decision in joining him?"_

_Dream-Remus thought for a moment, watching his daughter—_Elizabeth?_—crawl to a stuffed animal—a stag. "At first, I did," he said softly, painfully. "But we really had no other option, did we? All of our friends were dead, and the only way we could save Adam was to join him. It may not be the most desirable position we've ever held, but it's provided us with a home, food, and safety."_

"_I can still see them clear as day, you know," Naomi said so softly that both Remus' had to strain their ears in order to hear. "I still see Sirius begging them to let Julia and Jasmine go—Jasmine was only six months old... I still see James charging them down, but catching the Reductor curse for Lily. Sometimes I think we should have died alongside them. This isn't how life should be..."_

_The real-Remus looked to his counterpart and his wife in absolute horror. They'd witnessed their friends' deaths and had done nothing about it?_

"_Well, we're not dead," he finally said hoarsely, looking at the stag in his daughter's arms. "And there's nothing we can do to change the past, so there's no reason to dwell on it."_

_The front door slammed shut on the first level and the voices of two boys could be heard calling for their mum and dad as they raced up the stairs, laughing._

_The older boy _(_Adam, Remus guessed) resembled Remus greatly; everything from the hair color to the thin build. The other boy was a bit broader in the shoulders, as well as a bit shorter. He had bleach blond hair and Naomi's eyes._

* * *

The real-Remus couldn't take anymore. He closed his eyes tightly and when he opened them, he was staring at the ceiling of his own bedroom of the cottage. Breathing heavily, he turned to his left and felt cool relief wash over him when he found Emmeline with her arm draped over his chest. Loud snoring from his right made him turn in that direction and he saw Sirius fast asleep in a chair, drooling on his arm.

Remus closed his eyes again and took a few deep, calming breaths, wondering what had brought the dream on. He recalled a dream Harry'd had last Christmas about a supposed alternate reality in which his life was almost completely opposite—his parents were alive and had a few more children after him, but Remus and Sirius had died many years ago. Neither Harry's dream nor Remus' even mentioned Wormtail—did that mean anything? And then there was the dream Sirius had a month ago about Voldemort disguised as James, threatening him. Were the dreams connected somehow?

As the impact of the dream started to wear off, Remus became more aware of himself. The throbbing, stabbing pain in his head was finally gone. He felt weak, unable to even lift his head at the moment, and wondered if he should try to wake Emmeline and Sirius.

_No need really. They're both asleep—Sirius seems comfortable and I'm fine. May as well get some rest while I can,_ he thought.

Using most of his remaining strength, he reached up and gently rubbed Emmeline's back, bending his head just enough to kiss the top of her hair. Without meaning to, he seemed to have woken her. Her arm moved from its position on his other side across his stomach and stopped on his chest where she carefully pushed herself up just a bit.

"Hey, you," he said softly with a smile as she opened her eyes.

"You're awake," she said unnecessarily, but obviously relieved for some reason. Before he could come up with a witty remark, she lowered her lips to his as though she hadn't seen him in months. Though Remus would have been more than happy to escalate the kiss, he remembered with a certain amount of annoyance that Sirius was asleep just beside them, and they pulled away. Once Emmeline caught her breath, she reclaimed her position on his chest, her head resting just below his chin, their hands interlocked. "We were worried about you for a while there..." she said quietly.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Why? And why is Sirius here?"

Emmeline turned to look at the sleeping wizard and chuckled. "We should probably wake him. He can help tell the story."

"Oh, there's a story," Remus said. "Wonderful. Padfoot," he added throwing a quill from his bedside table at his best friend's head—it was either that or a heavy book. "Wake up."

Sirius jolted awake and looked around disoriented for a few moments as he wiped his mouth and chin. "Wha' 'appened?" he asked stupidly. He finally spotted Remus and Emmeline fighting not to laugh at him. "Moony," he said in the same surprised tone as Emmeline. "You're awake."

"You both seem a little too surprised by my consciousness," Remus said dryly. "Why is that?"

Emmeline and Sirius exchanged a glance as though they were wordlessly arguing about who would tell Remus what was going on. Sirius won—or lost, depending on how you look at it. "You passed out in the shower two nights ago," he said quietly, still a bit disoriented from being awoken.

"Yes, I remember that," Remus said slowly, feeling his forehead where he it the tub's edge tentatively. Someone must have healed it—it didn't hurt a bit.

"We know why," Emmeline said.

"And?" Remus said a bit more impatiently than he'd meant to.

Sirius looked at him more gravely than Remus could ever remember. "Somehow, a large amount of silver got into your system. Ted Tonks thinks you swallowed it through a drink, or maybe even food. It was pure silver, Remus, not your every day spoon and fork kind."

"What?" Remus asked loudly, waiting for the punch line. "How in the bloody hell did _that _happen?"

Emmeline sighed from beside him. "That's what we've been trying to figure out. Have you eaten anything odd lately?"

"Only what Sirius cooks," Remus said, ignoring the insulted look his best friend gave him. "I haven't ingested silver. That's suicide for a werewolf."

"We know," Sirius said. "Which means someone slipped it into your food."

"Did you eat when you went to Diagon Alley the other day?" Emmeline asked.

Remus thought. "I had a bowl of ice cream from Florean's, but it didn't have silver in it." How would he have missed silver in his food? The situation was almost amusing. Almost. Remus wasn't thick enough or crazy enough not to realize he could have died from this. He sighed, trying to remember his week. It all seemed like a blur—his days ran into each other, from working to getting Harry prepared to leave for Hogwarts. The only time he hadn't eaten at home or at the Ministry all week was when he'd taken Harry to pickup some new robes he'd forgotten when the Weasleys had taken him to Diagon Alley. They'd eaten in the Leaky Cauldron; but again, Remus didn't see how he could have missed silver in his food. He mentioned this to the others, and Sirius said he'd never get spiked food there. Emmeline remained in a pensive silence until Sirius announced he was going to write Harry and go to bed.

"What are you thinking?" Remus asked Emmeline softly when she hadn't said anything for a while; he traced a finger down her arm.

Emmeline didn't answer right away, but Remus thought she looked a bit... menacing. "Was Naomi at the Leaky Cauldron that day?"

Remus' eyebrows shot up. "I'm not sure," he said slowly. "I wasn't exactly looking for her. But from what I understand, she's mostly always there..."

Emmeline nodded, but didn't expand on her thoughts. "You should get some sleep," she said quietly, her tone back to normal. "Ted says you'll need bed rest to allow your blood to clear itself of the silver." She switched off the bedside lamp, kissed Remus, got under the blankets, and slid down in the bed.

Remus' eyebrows were still rather high—usually when they slept, there was no distance between them, but Emmeline seemed so preoccupied that she didn't curl up against him.

"What, do you think Naomi did this?" Remus asked quietly, squinting to see her in the dark.

He heard her sigh. "I don't know. It's just a thought... Get some sleep. I love you."

"I love you too," he said, laying his head on his pillow, facing her. He had a feeling she remained awake long after he slipped back into unconsciousness.


	9. Nine

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Nine_

The Order of the Phoenix met late one Friday night. Questions of when the dementors would be set free seemed to be the popular topic of the meeting. Though none of them were exactly disappointed that it hadn't happened yet, they were curious as to when they would have to face the dark creatures. Naomi told them Lord Voldemort was waiting for the dementors to increase their numbers. Sirius attempted a few jokes at the thought of reproducing dementors, but the others ignored him, and just for good measure—and because it hadn't been done for a long while—Remus slapped him in the back of the head.

The meeting lasted a good three hours, half of which was spent eating and socializing. Emmeline, Remus noticed immediately, hadn't said more than two dozen words that evening. He asked what was wrong, but she only shook her head, smiled, and said "nothing." Every so often, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and found with a slight shock that she was glaring over the table at Naomi. Emmeline hadn't expanded on her theory about Naomi and the silver Remus had ingested the week before, but the werewolf had a very good feeling that, in Emmeline's eyes, Naomi was the number one suspect.

Around midnight, Dumbledore ended the meeting, wanting to return to Hogwarts as soon as possible—he was reluctant to leave the school unprotected (which was an odd thought, considering the strength of the wards and charms surrounding the castle). Their leader bid them a good night, assuring Sirius and Remus that Harry was doing just fine, and there'd been no altercations between him and Snape, so there was nothing to worry about. Remus was convinced, but Sirius still wanted to find Snape and personally make sure (in a variety of creative and unpleasant ways) he was leaving Harry alone.

When Dumbledore left, Molly went into the pantry and prepared a late night meal for the small group who'd decided to remain; that being Sirius, Remus, Emmeline, Bill, Charlie, Tonks, Arthur, Sturgis, and Naomi. (Naomi stayed at Molly's request; according to the Order's mother hen, Naomi needed a few good meals.) Emmeline didn't seem too pleased that Naomi was staying and expressed her disapproval by sitting very closely to Remus. She obviously hadn't gotten over what had happened between Remus and his ex at the beginning of the summer.

The atmosphere in the kitchen was as cheerful as could be expected, considering they'd just had a long meeting concerning dementors and Dark Lords. Naomi had been well-received by the most of the Order—Emmeline, of course, being the exception—so she'd been involved in many of the conversations that night.

Remus spotted Sturgis Podmore sneaking glances at the Death-Eater-turned-spy every so often. There was a hint of what Remus didn't want to admit to be jealously sting at his heart just a touch. He assumed it was remnants of the dream he'd had earlier in the week. If Sturgis fancied Naomi, so be it—let him deal with the same heartbreak he, Remus, had endured. They were all adults, and Remus had no control over what either of them did, nor did he want any. And, if by some chance, they ended up together, Remus would wish them all the best. Remus had Emmeline, and he didn't need anything but her.

"I'm going to the ladies' room," Emmeline whispered in Remus' ear. She kissed his cheek and left the kitchen, leaving him to listen to Sirius and Charlie discuss dragons.

"Wotcher, Remus, how you feeling?" asked a bright voice from Emmeline's vacant seat.

He turned and smiled at Tonks. Tonight her hair was a mixture of royal blue with just a hint of silver. "I'm well, Tonks, how are you?"

"Exhausted," she said. "Dawlish has me on Hogsmeade duty for the next three moths, and before I head out there, I'm on Azkaban duty."

"Azkaban duty? That sounds fun," Remus said sarcastically.

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah. I patrol the corridors and listen to cat calls from all the horny prisoners."

"You patrol alone?"

"Well, no, but it usually doesn't matter who I'm with."

"How many have you hexed?"

"Only a few," she said airily.

Remus smirked. "Yes, you are most definitely related to Sirius Black."

* * *

In the second level bathroom, Emmeline leaned against the countertop and peered into the mirror. She knew she was being childish about Naomi, but she honestly didn't give a damn. She wasn't going to give that _woman_ a chance to get near Remus if she could help it. Despite Remus' arguments to the contrary, Emmeline believed Naomi had something to do with Remus' attempted murder earlier that week. There was no trust—not even a hint—in Emmeline's body for Naomi; it was much like the relationship between Sirius and Severus, if one could call that a relationship. Nothing Naomi did short of taking a Killing Curse for an Order member would change Emmeline's mind.

Sighing, and feeling a bit irritated at her jealousy and over-protectiveness—she'd never felt anything close to this in any other relationship she'd been in (of course, she'd never been with a man like Remus Lupin before)—she washed her hands, splashed a small amount of water on her face, dried off and left the bathroom.

Just as she started down the staircase, she stopped. In front of her, halfway up the stairs, was the woman she'd been thinking about all evening. Emmeline and Naomi stared at one another wordlessly for long minutes. Naomi was the first to break the very tense silence.

"Hello, Emmeline," she said tightly.

"Naomi," Emmeline replied frostily.

Neither witch moved from their spots or averted their eyes from the other—doing so would mean one of them was weaker, or at least, that's the way Emmeline saw it. Deciding now was as good a time as any other, Emmeline asked the question she'd been dying to ask for days.

"What did you do to Remus?"

That hadn't been exactly what she'd meant to say; she hadn't wanted to out right accuse Naomi of trying to kill Remus, but her tongue seemed to have a mind of its own.

Naomi raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Really? So you don't know how that silver ended up in his bloodstream?"

Judging by the look of pure horror on Naomi's face, the answer to that question was no. "There was silver in his blood?" Naomi breathed. "How? _When?_"

"You're the mastermind Death Eater; you tell me."

Naomi's jaw clenched. "Look, you may not believe this, and frankly, I don't give a shit if you do or not, but I would _never _do anything to hurt Remus."

Emmeline ignored the waver in her voice. "That didn't stop you fifteen years ago, did it?"

Naomi growled a bit in frustration. "I was young and stupid, okay? I didn't realize what I had with Remus until it was too late. Just because I left him, that doesn't mean I want to seem him hurt or dead." Naomi paused for a moment, trying to compose herself. "I realize I have no chance with him anymore and I don't expect to. I've told you this before: He's happy with you, and I'm not going to interfere. So whatever jealously or insecurities you have with me, get over it. He's yours. You win. Congratulations."

"Just do yourself a favor, Naomi, and stay away from him. I don't believe you didn't know about the silver and when I find out the truth, we will be having another chat—"

"Oh, I look forward to it—" Naomi muttered sarcastically.

Feeling it best to get back to the kitchen before there were any, er, _accidents_ in the hallway, Emmeline moved swiftly down the staircase, pushing Naomi aside. She took a turn and heard one last thing that made her stop.

"I don't know what he sees in you," Naomi muttered from on the stairs.

Emmeline turned around calmly, itching, but resisting, to grab her wand. "Perhaps it's the fact that he knows I won't leave him for a wizard who wants us all dead," she whispered harshly before continuing on her way.

* * *

Sirius realized something was terribly amiss when Emmeline entered the kitchen looking either ready to kill or cry—he wasn't sure which just yet. She whispered something to Remus, causing a look of confusion to appear on his face, and Flooed, presumably back to the cottage—there was too much noise to hear her destination. Remus continued to stare at the fireplace with the same expression until Naomi descended the stairs ten minutes later. By the new look on his face, Remus was thinking the same as Sirius—_not again...?_ Sighing, Remus drank the rest of his tea, stood, and crossed over to where Sirius stood against the stove.

"I better go do some damage control, I suppose," he said tiredly. "It won't do to have her come back here, temper flaring, ready to hex..."

"What's wrong, Moony?" Sirius grinned. "You don't like women fighting over you?"

Remus only glared at him before Flooing home.

Naomi, Sirius noticed, was just as upset as Emmeline. Sirius sent her a questioning glance, but she avoided his eye as she gathered her belongings and left the kitchen. Whatever had happened between the two witches must have been pretty bad to garner that sort of reaction. They both cared for Remus, he knew, and only wanted what was best for him, but Sirius didn't know how much more of this Remus would be able to take.

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt as Bill handed him a glass of wine. Remus could handle Emmeline's temper—Sirius was just glad it wasn't him doing the handling...

* * *

Remus stared at his closed bedroom door trying to steel up the energy for what was to come. After ten minutes, he carefully pushed the door open and poked his head inside, checking if it was safe to enter. When nothing was thrown in his direction, he entered, finding Emmeline on their bed, sitting against the headboard with her knees pulled to her chest. Remus had learned this was her thinking position.

"You okay?" he asked softly, closing the door behind him.

He thought maybe she was ignoring him, but she finally answered a few minutes later. "I asked her about the silver," she said flatly.

Mentally, Remus sighed. "What did she say?"

"What do you think? She acted like she had no idea what I was talking about."

"Maybe she didn't," Remus said, regretting his choice of words immediately at the look he was getting.

"Of course she did!" Emmeline yelled. "For crying out loud, she's Voldemort's bloody _second-in-command_, or whatever the hell it is. She knows about everything that happens."

Remus now sighed aloud. "I'm sure she knows the majority of what Voldemort does, but there's no possible way she could know every little detail—"

"This isn't some attack on random Muggles, Remus!" Emmeline shouted, releasing her knees. "You're one of the top targets in this war, and for her to have no clue about an attempt on your life... that's complete bull."

Remus ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I understand you're angry, Emmeline," he said quietly. "I'm just as upset about this, but every little thing that happens isn't Naomi's fault."

"So you're sticking up for her now?" she asked, standing up from the bed. "After everything that's happened? After everything she put you through?"

His jaw clenched as he fought to keep his temper. "I'm not sticking up for her," he said as calmly as he could. "I'm only saying we shouldn't jump to conclusions about this. You're automatically assuming she was the one who tried to off me. Well, she's not the only Death Eater in the world, Emmeline, and there are many more who hate me a lot more than Naomi does."

Emmeline glared at him. "I know she had something to do with this," she said. "Maybe not directly, but—Remus, I don't trust her."

Judging by her soft tone, Remus decided it was safe to approach her. He stroked her arms gently, noting how tense she was. "I know you don't trust her," he said softly. "I can't say I'm much better. But we really have no choice in this. Look, I've made my share of assumptions in the past without getting the whole story, and—I just think we should wait until we know more about this before jumping to conclusions."

Her anger seemed to fade the longer Remus held her until at long last she uncrossed her arms from her chest and wrapped them around his waist, burying her head in his chest. "I'm overreacting, aren't I?" she asked quietly, her voice muffled in his robes.

Remus kissed the top of her head. "Only a little," he said teasingly, earning a gentle slap on his back. "I do find it rather attractive that you jump to my defense like this..."

Emmeline laughed into his chest. "Do you now?" she asked, raising her head.

Remus nodded. "Very attractive." He grinned.

Conversation was irrelevant from that point on.

* * *

After Naomi left Order Headquarters without a word, Sirius lost all interest in the impromptu party taking place at his childhood home. He said good night to his fellow Order members and Flooed back to the cottage briefly, just to be sure there hadn't been any bloodshed. Remus and Emmeline's bedroom was silent—a little too silent, suggesting to Sirius that the couple had cast a Silencing Charm around the room. Grinning, Sirius went out the front door of the cottage into the chilly night, suddenly remembering what Naomi had told them about the dementors—his violent shiver had nothing to do with the temperature.

Thankful that he had his leather jacket tonight, he walked across the yard to a small storage shed he and Remus had built and rolled his motorbike out onto the grass. He put on his helmet, mounted the bike, revved up the engine, and rode it through the forest on a path that led to civilization. Miles down the path, he came to a main road and punched the silver button that sent him in the air almost instantly. He may have lost his ability to do magic, but that didn't keep him from using magical items.

He flew at top speeds, thankful to Remus for placing a heating charm around the bike, until he reached London an hour later. The city roads were mostly deserted at this late hour, so Sirius had no trouble landing and navigating to Naomi's flat. He knew he should have exercised some sort of caution going to Death Eater's home—there could be others there—but he wouldn't be Sirius Black if he didn't throw caution to the wind and put his life in jeopardy every so often.

_One of the things Remus hates about me_, the wizard thought with a smirk. _Among many other things, of course._

He arrived at Naomi's door, knocked and waited. He wasn't sure what he was going to say to her, but he had to do something; the feud between Naomi and Emmeline was only growing worse. If it went on any longer, the witches would end up badly injured. Of course, a fight between the two would be a fantasy come true for Sirius; it didn't even matter that they wouldn't be battling over him.

He heard a sigh and locks snapping open, then Naomi was standing before him, looking as if she was getting ready to go to bed. "Hey," he said quietly.

"Hey," she muttered and he entered her flat. She closed the door and he made himself comfortable on her sofa, reaching for an unopened bottle of butterbeer. "Thirsty, Black?"

He shrugged. "Long flight, you know?" he said loftily, watching Naomi go to her kitchen for a fresh bottle. _Well, at least she's not pissed that I'm here..._

She came back to the living room and sat beside Sirius on the sofa, knocking his legs to the floor, and forcing him to sit up. "Why are you here so late?"

He shrugged again as he sipped his drink. "I wanted to see if you were all right. You left in a bit of a rush—I didn't have a chance to ask you..."

Naomi nodded silently and Sirius waited for a reaction of some sort. After a few minutes, he realized she wasn't going to say anything. "So are you all right?" he asked quietly.

"I'm absolutely smashing," she muttered sarcastically. "I've just been accused of the attempted murder of the man I've done everything I can to keep safe." She turned to look at Sirius. "She never even asked me if I knew what happened. She just automatically accuses me."

Sirius sighed. "She's scared, Naomi," he said. Naomi snorted humorlessly. "We're all easy targets, regardless of all the things we've done to keep ourselves safe. This whole thing with Remus happened so fast..." He hesitated. "Look, I'm not accusing you of anything here... but _did_ you know about the silver?"

"You too?" she cried. "God dammit, Sirius! Why would I try to kill him when I'm still half in love with him?"

"How can you be half in love with somebody?" he asked thoughtfully, then at her glare added, "Never mind..." He sighed. "I know you'd never hurt Remus, but I had to ask..."

"I've tried so hard, Sirius," she said quietly, her voice wavering. "I've tried to give you guys reliable information. I've tried to find out everything I can, and I still can't get anyone's trust." Sirius bit his lip as he saw tears forming in her eyes. "Now I've got people outright accusing me of trying to murder Remus... Sirius, I've never once in my entire life killed a person. You probably don't believe that, but it's true. Yes, I've used Unforgivables, but I've never used the Killing Curse, and I've never used a curse that could cause a death."

Sirius tried to keep his eyes from widening at the confession. He'd always had the idea that killing a person was a part of the Death Eater initiation. He slid over on the sofa and put an arm around Naomi's shoulders, pulling her against him as she began to cry. "If it's any consolation," he said softly, rubbing her arm. "I trust you."

She lifted her head a bit and gave him a small smile. "Thank you," she said, laying her head on his shoulder. Sirius gently sat back against the sofa and brought Naomi with him. They sat together in their own thoughts for long minutes. Naomi continued to cry; Sirius continued to hold her.

Something odd was happening, something he hadn't experienced in years, and he thought he knew what it was. Over the last few weeks, perhaps even months, as he started to reacquaint himself with Naomi, he found he was also starting to develop feelings for her. Romantic ones. They'd been best friends once, though he'd never been interested in her in _that_ way when they'd been kids—he'd always had his eye on Julia. Naomi wasn't all that bad, he mused as her sniffs began to subside. She was funny, beautiful, intelligent, and tough. He couldn't think of any other person who would have the nerve to spy on Lord Voldemort (Snape didn't count).

"I don't know if I can do this anymore," Naomi said a bit hoarsely. Sirius turned his head to look at her, but ended up staring at the top of her head. "I don't ever remember being this tired and scared and stressed in my life. At any minute, I could be found out, and the next minute, I could be dead."

"Don't say that," Sirius whispered firmly. "You've done more to help our cause in this war than half the Order put together. I could never do what you're doing, Naomi..."

She laughed bitterly. "You were smart, Sirius, you and Remus. You resisted joining him. Look at me: I abandoned what could have possibly been the greatest thing in my life. Now I live every second of my life wondering when Voldemort's going to figure out what I've been doing. I can't remember the last time I was truly happy since I got the Dark Mark. But you and Remus live as normally as you can, you have Harry, and you're respected. Do you have any idea how often I've lain awake just wanting a bit of normalcy? How often I've daydreamed about just spending time with my friends, my _true_ friends, not having to worry about being tortured?"

Sirius tightened his grip around her without really noticing, and she wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling her legs up to tuck under her. "You don't have to do this, you know," he said, thinking as he spoke. "I mean, there are ways to hide you and keep you safe. Hell, you can stay at Headquarters and you'd never have to worry."

"I can't do that," she said. "I ran away from my responsibilities before; I won't do it again..."

"There's a difference between responsibility and survival," he said quietly but firmly. "And to tell you the truth, I'd prefer to see you alive, rather than wonder if we're going to find you dead somewhere."

"They'll find me, no matter how 'safe' I am," she argued.

Sirius shook his head. "I won't let them."

Naomi finally looked up to meet his eyes and Sirius only hesitated for a second before closing the distance between them. She stiffened a bit, and he thought she was going to push him away, but then she turned a bit to deepen the kiss. For a moment, Sirius forgot about the war, and their positions in it. He forgot everything that happened over the last fifteen years. As the seconds went on, the pair shifted to lie on the sofa, and Naomi moaned softly in appreciation. Sirius slid his hands from her thigh to rest on her waist, and she seemed to come to her senses—she pulled back and pushed him away.

"We can't do this," she panted, ignoring Sirius' indignant look as he sat up. "_You_ can't do this, Sirius."

"Why?" he asked in exasperation.

"Think about it!" she yelled, suddenly angry. "You're the bloody Head Auror for the Ministry of Magic and I'm a Death Eater; you're supposed to be arresting me, not making out with me on my sofa."

Sirius sighed and ran a hand across his face. "I don't care," he said bluntly. "I haven't cared for months, Naomi... Okay, it's this simple: I want this very badly. The question is, do you?"

She ran a shaky hand through her hair, her face flushed. Sirius waited patiently for her answer. She had the power to make or break this relationship, and Sirius wasn't going to pressure her to do anything she didn't want. She had enough to deal with already.

"You realize, if anyone finds out, this will put us higher up on the Voldemort target list, right? The Death Eaters will know what I am, and they'll go after you just to watch me hurt and vice versa," she said quietly.

"I know," he said.

She nodded. "And Remus won't be happy..."

"I'll deal with Remus."

"You're taking away all my excuses," she said, smiling slightly. "Damn you."

Sirius smiled back. "So what do you say? Should we try and piss the world off even more?"

She grinned. "That's your ultimate goal in life, isn't it?" He nodded brightly. "Well, in that case," she said, sliding closer to him, "I'm in."


	10. Ten

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Ten_

October arrived in its normal fashion, all falling leaves and chilly weather. The odd green mist that had begun to form around late August continued to thicken and even the Muggles were starting to notice. The Muggle Prime Minister and the Minister of Magic were meeting often since the new Wizard/Muggle relations agreement. The Ministry believed that Muggles deserved to know what was happening, to a point. After the giants, suspicion had arisen, despite the Ministry's attempt to wipe as many memories as they could. Apparently, they'd missed a few, and a story about twenty-foot tall giants and creatures that fed on happiness running around London appeared in all sorts of Muggles tabloids (the Muggle equivalent of _the Quibbler_). Copies of these magazines reached the desks of many Ministry employees, including Remus Lupin, who took it home to give Sirius a laugh, and Arthur Weasley. Many Obliviators were forced to endure ridicule for not doing their jobs correctly and extra training programs were instated.

Not much changed as the days wore on; if anything, they were worse, but only by a little bit. The number of deaths reported by the _Daily Prophet_ took up their own section now, and it was the first thing most readers looked at in the morning—it was the only way to know if a friend or loved one had died the night before. The Order of the Phoenix did their best to prevent deaths, with the help of their spies, Severus Snape and Naomi Watts, but unfortunately, not all casualties could be avoided.

The strain and exhaustion of war was rearing its ugly head to those who fought to end it. Tempers grew short during many Order meetings, and more than a few times, arguments had to be broken up before anyone could get hurt. Much to everyone's surprise, these arguments broke out not between Sirius Black and some other member, but often between Remus Lupin and Alastor Moody. Since the retired Auror suggested they use Harry to spy on Voldemort via the mind-link between the boy and the Dark Lord, the two wizards had unfailingly been at odds with one another. Remus became notorious for his Dumbledore-like ability to make a calm statement and leave a person feeling as though they'd been slapped and screamed at. Sirius for one thought it was rather impressive.

The shock of Sirius' loss of magical powers had worn off for the most part. The Auror, though still not happy about it by any means, had adapted to the situation to the point that he even started to leave his wand on his desk when he went out. Remus was proud of how his best friend was coping; he'd thought Sirius would still be moping broodingly around the cottage. Emmeline continued to research the curse on Sirius as often as she could, but between her work and Order meetings it was no easy feat. The Healers wanted to test Sirius' powers—the only way to do this would be to have Sirius attempt a spell. Remus was wary of this; he'd been told when the accident first happened that Sirius wouldn't be able to use a wand for months.

"Well," Emmeline said when he explained his fears, "it has been a few months. And besides, the Healers wouldn't suggest it if they thought it would hurt him."

"But they know nothing about this curse except what you've been able to tell them, and no offense, but what you've found out really isn't much," Remus said, pacing around his office at the Ministry. "What if this makes it worse?"

Emmeline sighed and stood from where she was leaning on his desk. She walked in front of her boyfriend, forcing him to cease his pacing, and put her hands on his shoulders. "Remus, I know you're worried, but you've got to understand that nobody is going to do anything that will hurt Sirius. It's not like he'll be locked up in his bedroom conjuring furniture; he'll be watched closely by trained Healers, including Ted Tonks, and if they see something going wrong, they'll stop him."

Remus put his hands on her hips and rested his forehead on hers. "I just want him to get past this," he said quietly. "I want him to be able to go back to work and to be able to help the Order like I know he wants to do. He's getting antsy."

"He's fine," Emmeline said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "If you ask me, he seems happy. I can't remember the last time I found him brooding around the cottage—"

"Thursday," Remus said promptly. "He cut himself shaving with a razor, and he's never cut himself before—he always shaves with his wand."

Emmeline rolled her eyes. "Stop worrying so much. Sirius will be fine," she said.

Remus shrugged. "Maybe you're right," He sighed.

"Of course I am." She grinned.

"And he does seem happier, doesn't he?" Remus said. Emmeline nodded. "All right, I'll stop worrying so much. I mean, it's not like I've gotten anything done, worrying about him." He gestured to his overflowing inbox.

"Neither have I," Emmeline said. "I've got to get back upstairs. See you at five?"

Remus nodded. "Have a good afternoon."

"You too," she said and kissed him softly.

He smiled against her lips, deepening the kiss, but was unable to get much further than that. The sound of a clearing throat forced the couple to break apart. They released one another and turned to the door, finding Charlie Weasley suppressing a grin.

"Oh, Charlie," Remus said, blushing a little. "What can I do for you?"

"Sorry to interrupt and all, but the DMLE is on our case about those ghosts in their offices. They, that is the ghosts, refuse to leave without the Ministry meeting their demands," Charlie said, handing Remus a file.

"I'll see you later," Emmeline said, kissing Remus quickly. "See you, Charlie."

"Bye," Remus and Charlie said in unison.

Remus moved to sit behind his desk. "Okay, what are their demands?"

"Well, first, they want us to stop pushing them out of their 'homes'," Charlie said.

"You're kidding, right? When have we pushed any of them out of their, er, habitats?"

"Apparently, a family reported a ghost harassing them, so Diggory and Webster from the Spirit Division went out and evicted him."

Remus sighed. "What else do they want?"

Charlie smirked. "For some reason, they seem to think we can give them food. There are a few who seem to think they're starving to death."

* * *

Sirius was having a good day. He woke up at noon, showered, had a large lunch, and was now sitting in front of the television. He'd been out late the night before at Naomi's, though he'd told Remus and Emmeline he'd gone to London to see a film. As much as he hated sneaking around behind his best friend's back, he really had no other choice at the moment; when Sirius finally did tell Remus he'd been seeing Naomi, he'd need his wand, because Remus would probably hex him very badly.

He had to admit that the danger of him and Naomi being found out held a bit of an appeal. Granted, they couldn't spend as much time together as they'd like, but the time they had was that much better. Remus wasn't the least bit stupid, and Sirius wasn't naïve enough to think he'd be able to hide his relationship with Naomi forever; he just needed to find the right time to break the news—preferably without Remus breaking any of his bones.

_He shouldn't take it too badly,_ Sirius thought, eating from a bowl of popcorn. _I'm an adult, and I can make my own bloody decisions about whom I want to date. Not that what Naomi and I have could really be considered dating; we've never actually gone out on a date—it'd be too dangerous..._

But Naomi made him happy. They had fun together and they enjoyed one another's company. Sirius had a feeling Naomi hadn't been in a decent relationship since Remus, and Sirius' last two relationships ended with the witches being murdered by Lord Voldemort. Many times, they'd discussed Naomi's relationship with Lucius Malfoy, and how uncomfortable Sirius felt kissing her, knowing who else had previously done the same. Naomi informed him that she'd told Lucius to bugger off a few days after she and Sirius had gotten together. Sirius had never been so relieved to hear something in his life. And despite the strangeness of their relationship, Sirius couldn't have been happier.

Well, he could if his powers came back to him, but other than that, he was perfectly content. The Healers working with him wanted him to test his powers, and he wasn't sure what he was more worried about: his powers coming back or finding that he's losing them more. Naomi found out that the only way to counter the curse was for the wizard to wait it out. She thought maybe a shock to the system could bring his powers back, but she wasn't sure what kind of shock it would take to correct something like this. And since Sirius didn't like shock, whatever had to happen would be the worst thing imaginable.

He glanced lazily at the clock above the mantle, noting he had a good seven or eight hours until Remus and Emmeline returned home. They'd been working late hours at the Ministry in recent weeks, and after work, they would be going to Hogwarts to give Harry his Occlumency lesson. Dumbledore was still insistent that the boy take his lessons as an extra protection from Voldemort visions. Over Christmas holidays, Remus wanted to start Harry on learning to defend himself—Harry knew the basics of magical defense, but he'd be no match against a Death Eater if he ever met one. That had been one of the advantages of Mad-Eye's defense club the year before.

Ready for a chance of scenery, Sirius stood from the sofa and went out to his motorcycle. He hadn't been to Diagon Alley in a while, and he was quite sure Naomi was working at the Leaky Cauldron that day. He could be home long before his friends even realized he was gone.

* * *

Harry yawned widely over his lunch, wishing he'd gotten more sleep the night before. He and Ron had been up late discussing Quidditch strategies for the upcoming match against Hufflepuff. Tryouts for the Gryffindor team had gone well; it hadn't been much of a choice for Keeper—Ron had out flown and out blocked all the competition. The only hopeful that had come close was Cormac McLaggen, and Harry hadn't liked his attitude, anyway. Katie Bell, Demelza Robins, and Ginny were chosen for Chasers, and Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote for Beaters. The team looked promising, and Harry hoped, for his sake, they were successful—people were already talking about what they thought had happened with Harry over the summer, and he didn't need any more attention.

Harry had heard all about what happened with Remus and the silver by this time. He'd begged his surrogate uncle to come to Hogwarts just so he could see with his own eyes that he was okay. It had been the day of the full moon when Remus did come for a visit, so Harry had expected him to look a little sickly, but all in all, Harry had been satisfied.

Slughorn had invited Harry on several occasions to join him for meetings with other students who had some sort of connection to famous witches or wizards. Going on Sirius' advice for a change, Harry declined the invites every time they were sent. Neither of his guardians wanted him mixing up with Slughorn or his little Slug Club. In fact, Sirius had come to Hogwarts with Remus once and had a few words with the new Potions Master; since then, Slughorn mostly left Harry alone.

"Harry, you haven't eaten a thing," Hermione said from across the table.

Harry started, realizing he'd had his head resting on his hand all through lunch, and his golden plate was still full. He glanced at the wristwatch Emmeline had given him for his birthday and cursed. He had only five minutes to eat before Transfiguration began. As quickly as possible (without choking), Harry stuffed food into his mouth, barely chewing before swallowing.

"You've been friends with Ron for way too long," Ginny said, watching him in amusement. Harry didn't have time to reply.

"I resent that," Ron said thickly through what was probably his fifth sandwich.

"Yes, I'm sure you do," Hermione said dryly, stuffing books into her schoolbag. "But if you two don't finish soon, you're going to be late for class, and you know how McGonagall is if you're late."

"Harry," Neville asked from a few spots down the Gryffindor table. Still stuffing his face, Harry turned to him, raising his eyebrows in question. "Why's Snape glaring at you?"

Harry turned to the staff table and found his appetite fading. Indeed, the Defense professor was glaring at him venomously—a look Harry was highly familiar with, having first received it at age five. Snape didn't look away when Harry spotted him; if anything, the glare intensified. Harry sighed and sat his fork on his plate. "Who knows," he said, turning back to his friends. "Maybe he and Sirius had another fight."

"But why would he glare at you?" Ron asked.

"Because Sirius isn't here," Harry said flatly. "Or maybe I've done something that reminded him of my dad. I don't know, it doesn't matter; I'm too used to it to care."

The Gryffindor friends stood from their table, gathered their school bags, and left the Great Hall. Though he didn't look over his shoulder, Harry felt Snape's beady black eyes bore into the back of his head the entire way.

* * *

He was quite thankful that his destination was deserted; it would do him no good to get caught now. Though he hadn't been caught last time, his mission had failed—the werewolf was still alive. His master hadn't been too pleased to find out about that, and he had felt the repercussions. And he had taken it like a man. Next time, he would have to use more silver...

It really hadn't been hard to sneak the substance into Remus Lupin's meal; all it took was the use of a neatly placed Imperius Curse while no one was looking. Of course, he'd had to charm the silver to be invisible and tasteless, or else Lupin would have known something was wrong. From what he'd heard, the effects of the silver hadn't fully shown themselves for a few days following; Snape told him it was because of some potion Lupin took before and on the full moon to make his werewolf mind seem normal. Ha. A normal werewolf. They should all be killed—useless, the whole lot of them. Unless they were being used to attack filthy Muggles or Mudbloods and blood traitors, of course.

The Dark Lord had assigned him his next mission, and this time, he would not fail.

* * *

The bell over the door of the Leaky Cauldron jingled and she sighed thankfully. All day long she'd had only fifteen customers—better than it had been recently, but it still made for a boring day. She and the other bartenders busied themselves by cleaning the pub and the rooms in hopes that someday soon they'd have a full house again.

Naomi turned from where she'd been cleaning shelves and fought hard to restrain herself from smiling. She and Sirius had been forced to keep their relationship a secret, so when they saw each other in public—which wasn't often, since Sirius preferred to visit her flat—she had to pretend she wasn't excited to see him. He gave her a half-glance as he sat at the end of the bar. Being the only one back there at the moment, she went to take his order.

"Afternoon, Black," she said with a bored sigh. "What's your pleasure?"

She didn't miss the mischievous glint in his eye at her question, but he covered it well. "Just a butterbeer," he said carelessly.

She nodded and turned away from him, going to the cooler for a fresh bottle of butterbeer. Another customer gestured that he needed a fresh drink as well, so she took care of him before going back to Sirius. From under the bar, she pulled out a napkin and coaster (Sirius or not, she'd just cleaned that bar, and she wasn't about to get a watermark on it). She hastily scribbled a note on the napkin and grabbed a room key from the full pegboard behind the bar, slipped the key inside the napkin and placed it in front of Sirius, setting his drink on top of it.

"Four sickles when you're ready," she said. "Let me know if you need anything else."

"Right," he said, taking a sip of his drink.

She turned around on the pretense of wiping down the counter and looked into the mirror above it, watching Sirius discreetly look at the napkin, and stick the room key inside his jacket with a quick wink in her direction. He remained at the bar, looking around the mostly empty pub haughtily as he enjoyed his butterbeer. Fifteen minutes later, he threw a galleon on the bar, placed the napkin in his pocket, and went up the stairwell to where the rooms were. She waited another fifteen minutes, told her co-workers she was taking a lunch break, and followed Sirius' path to room twelve. She knocked softly and waited for him to unlock and open the door. Once she'd closed the door behind her, she found herself rather preoccupied for the next few minutes.

The need became oxygen was too great to continue their kiss, and they pulled away, still holding each other close. "Hi," he whispered huskily.

"Hi." She smiled. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "I was bored. There's only so much television I can watch, you know? How's your day been?"

"Boring," she sighed. "Nobody comes in here anymore unless they need something from Diagon Alley, and even then they don't stay long."

"I'm sure that will change with time."

She nodded and allowed him to release her so he could sit on the sofa, and pull her down with him. She curled up against him, resting her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Yawning, she closed her eyes.

"Tired?" he asked, running a hand through her hair.

"Mm-hmm," she murmured. "I had a late night last night."

"Did you now?" he asked. She could hear his grin. "And did you enjoy yourself?"

"Very much," she said with a happy sigh. "I've been seeing this wonderful man for the last month, and he just gets more amazing as the weeks go by."

"Should I be jealous?"

"Nah, he's good, but he's not half the man you are."

Sirius laughed, causing his chest to bounce slightly. "Well, I'll have to meet this bloke, see what it is about him you like so much..."

She sat up, turned around and straddled his waist, resting her arms on his shoulders. He sat back in the cushions and gently massaged her hips. "I've got an hour before I have to be back to work, you know; maybe I can show you a few of the things he showed me..."

He grinned and slid one hand up her back to bring her closer, his other hand moving across the back her thigh. "An hour, huh?" he whispered. "Not enough time..."

Just before their lips connected in what was sure to be a heated kiss, Naomi jerked back with a surprised yelp. "What?" he asked, startled. "What's wrong?" With a sigh, she lifted her left robe sleeve and revealed the black skull on her forearm. She looked at Sirius, finding him staring emotionlessly at the Mark. "You've got to go," he said quietly.

She nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry," she said sincerely.

"Have you thought more on what we discussed? About you going into hiding?" he asked as she lifted herself from his lap.

"A little," she said. "I just don't know, Sirius. But... right now, I've got to go. If I'm not there fifteen minutes after the call... well, the results aren't exactly pretty."

His jaw clenched visibly, not wanting her to go. This wasn't the first time she'd been summoned while they were together, and every time, he was less happy about letting her leave. "Be careful, all right?" he murmured, hugging her a little tighter than necessary.

"I will," she whispered, kissing him. "I'll owl you as soon as I can, okay?"

He nodded, reluctantly releasing her and watching her leave. Once the door closed, she Apparated to the Dark Lord's hideout, wondering what he could possibly want.

* * *

A small, nameless village in the British countryside was unknowingly about to lose its peaceful atmosphere. Just before midnight, long after the villagers had put their children to bed, their borders were invaded by hooded creatures whose only goal in life was to suck all the happiness from the world. Hundreds of dementors had been unleashed by Lord Voldemort in order to feed their hunger. The Muggle villagers had no means of protection, and they couldn't even see their attackers—they could feel the bitter cold the dementors brought with them, and could sense something was terribly wrong, but there was nothing they could do.

Luckily for them, the Order of the Phoenix, led by Albus Dumbledore, fought for them.

Half an hour into the attack, a large group of Order members and Ministry of Magic officials Apparated and Portkeyed into the area. As one, they shouted, _"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"_ and the village was lit with a brilliant white light. Dozens of patronuses charged down as many dementors as they could, sending a few back to where they came from. But it wasn't near enough; there were still ten dementors for every one patronus. By the third attempt to rid the small village of the foul creatures, many of the witches and wizards had collapsed from exhaustion—there weren't many in the world that could conjure a corporeal patronus three times in a row and continue to stand without some sort of boost.

Luckily for them, they had Remus Lupin.

The werewolf had very intelligently brought along a vast amount of chocolate. He did his best between chasing dementors to feed his fellows bits of the chocolate in the hopes it would give them enough strength to finish the job.

Nearly two hours later, the last of the dementors soared off into the night, leaving the wizard fighters to collapse. They knew there'd been losses on their side, but most of them didn't have the energy nor the nerve to find out who and how many. The few who had managed to remain on their feet ventured further into the village.

Dumbledore led the way, with Remus by his side, and they entered house after house, looking for anyone who made it out of the attack with their souls. The first few houses were lucky—the wizards discovered two small families huddled together in backrooms. The Headmaster assured them they were safe now, and in a few moments, they would forget all of their troubles.

After the first two families, though, many of the houses contained people who'd been unable to escape the dementors. The Ministry would take those who'd lost their souls into protective custody for treatment—at least, that's what they told the Muggles. In reality, the victims of the Dementor's Kiss would be taken to the long-term ward at St. Mungo's as soon as the hospital finished undergoing renovations—much the same as Azkaban had a few years back. All of the top Security Charm Wizards were working day and night to build and strengthen wards to ensure the safety of the patients and staff.

"What do we do now, sir?" Remus asked hoarsely, watching a young boy no older than eight rock back and forth on his bed. His parents were near hysterics as they tried to get the boy to "snap out of it."

"There is nothing we can do, Remus," the headmaster answered regretfully. "Except take care of the survivors. Come, we should return to headquarters; I am sure Sirius is anxiously awaiting our return."

* * *

Anxious wasn't a strong enough word to describe what Sirius was feeling at the moment. Thoughts and visions of his friends having their souls sucked out by dementors kept him pacing around Number Twelve's basement kitchen for the better part of the three hours that the others were gone. As much as he hated being in the same country as dementors, he wished he'd been able to go along with the rest of the Order, just so he'd know for sure if the others were okay.

Molly was somewhere upstairs, doing what she always did when she as worried: she was cleaning. She'd been kind enough to prepare a late meal for her and Sirius while they waited, but Sirius found he didn't have much of an appetite. What if Remus couldn't get his patronus to work and a dementor got him? No, he couldn't think that; Emmeline wouldn't let a dementor get within ten feet of her or Remus, and Remus had never had a problem conjuring his patronus.

Fortunately for him, he didn't have to wait much longer (he probably would have pulled out all his hair if he'd had to wait anymore). He stopped his pacing when the fireplace burst into green flames, and Remus and Emmeline stumbled out of the grate together. Sirius rushed over to catch Emmeline before she fell, and led her to a chair.

"Are you all right?" Sirius asked, examining his friends with a close critical eye. Both seemed okay for the most part, a little pale and shaken, but they both had their souls.

"We're fine," Remus said shakily, sitting beside his girlfriend. "Do we have any hot chocolate?"

"What? Yeah, yeah, of course, I'll get Molly to make some," Sirius said. "Emmeline, you okay?" he added, noticing the witch's raspy breathing.

"She was nearly Kissed," Remus said hoarsely, hugging her close to him. "Tonks conjured her patronus just in time..."

Sirius tried to hide his horror. "Well," he said quietly, unsure of how to reply. "You're okay now, Emmeline, it's all over."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Molly exclaimed from the top of the stairs. "I was worried sick. Where are the others?"

"They'll be along soon. Arthur stayed to help transport the Muggles to the Ministry," Remus explained. "Bill and Charlie are with him."

Molly sighed in relief. "You two look like you could use some cocoa, hmm? Sirius, will you get a few teacups, please, dear?"

"Sure, Molly," the wizard said, patting Remus' back as he stood and crossed the kitchen.

Emmeline didn't say a word during the entire time that Molly was preparing the hot cocoa. Sirius wondered what she'd heard when the dementors got near. From what he'd understood, she'd lived a rather good life—what would the Dementors have made her relive? _Probably her relationship with Snivelly_, Sirius thought. _That would count as the world's worst memory..._

As Molly began to serve the hot cocoa, Sirius found a large bar of Honeyduke's finest and split it between Remus and Emmeline. Emmeline's color began to return after a few bites, much to everyone's relief. When Arthur, Bill, and Charlie returned, Molly forced the three of them to choke down enough chocolate to feed a small army.

It was decided by everyone that they would remain at Headquarters for the night; Emmeline was still quite weak and Remus didn't think she was up to traveling. Just before sunrise, the seven Order members said good night to one another and went up the stairs, all of them needing a good few hours of sleep.


	11. Eleven

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Eleven_

The Hogwarts dungeons had never been her favorite place in the castle; in fact, the only time she'd ever gone down there after graduation from Hogwarts was to see the person she was visiting today. Remus was in Dumbledore's office having some sort of discussion with the Headmaster—Sirius suspected the Order's leader wanted to send Remus on a mission. Sirius himself was out on the Quidditch pitch watching the Gryffindor team practice for their upcoming match against Slytherin. She'd told the two wizards she was going to the library to check out a few things from the restricted section—and that would be her eventual destination.

His office door was partly open, though she was sure he'd meant to close it securely behind him upon entering. Carefully and quietly, she pushed the heavy door all the way open and stood in the threshold, watching him hunched over his desk, marking students' papers.

"Students are to be in their common rooms until dinner. If you do not wish to spend the next month in detention, I suggest you join the rest of your house," he said without looking up.

"Is that a threat, Severus?" Emmeline asked with a smirk, biting her lip to keep from laughing as he jerked his head up at her voice.

He pursed his lips. "Do you wish it to be, Miss Vance?" he asked softly.

She raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you call me 'Miss Vance'?"

"Unless I am very much mistaken or unless you've made a recent change that I am yet to be aware of, that is your name," he said in the uncaring tone he used with the rest of the world.

"Okay," Emmeline sighed. "But you never called me by my surname until I started seeing Remus." His jaw clenched and she held back a grin. "Ah, I see what this is... You're jealous of Remus, aren't you, Severus? How very endearing..."

"I assure you, _Emmeline_, that I am in no way _jealous_ of Remus Lupin," he said menacingly. Emmeline knew him too well to be threatened.

"Could have fooled me," she said flatly. "You know, you and I haven't had a decent conversation that hasn't dealt with Order business for nearly a year. Why is that?"

He shuffled some of his papers, avoiding her eye. "I've been busy," he said stiffly.

"Right. Too busy to even say hello?"

"Is there something I can help you with, Emmeline? I'm behind on my work." He went back to marking papers.

Rolling her eyes, Emmeline pulled a slip of parchment from her robes. "I need a favor," she admitted quietly. His quill froze over the parchment he was grading, and she knew he was listening. "I've been researching the curse Malfoy used on Sirius, since neither you nor Naomi can tell us anything about it—"

"Were I able to get information, I would have—"

"I'm not blaming you. I'm just saying I've found something..." She sighed. "I found a potion that could help him—"

"Let me guess," Severus said, placing his quill on the desk slowly. "You wish for me to prepare it for you?" She shrugged and he sighed. "I see. So the only reason you've come to visit me is because you are inept at Potions. And you wonder why I've been avoiding you."

Again, she rolled her eyes. "I'll ignore that for now. Look, you're the only person in the Order who can make this potion, so I'm asking you to do me this favor. If you don't want to, that's fine. I'll find someone else to do it. I'm sorry to have interrupted your work." She turned to leave, but before the door closed behind her, he called her back. She remained facing away as he spoke.

"What is this potion?"

"You've already said you're too busy and I wouldn't want to add to your workload."

"Just for the sake of my curiosity, then."

Slowly, she turned and walked to his desk, handing him the slip of parchment. He stroked his chin as he read the instructions and ingredients, and she knew he was considering her request.

"You do realize this potion takes six months to brew, not to mention the amount of time it will take to gather these ingredients," he said softly, lowering the parchment and looking up at her.

"Which is why I will take it elsewhere since you're busy," she said, reaching out to take the parchment.

He pulled it back, examining it further. "And you further realize I am no longer the Hogwarts Potions Master," he said over her, ignoring her last comment.

"You're the only one I would trust with this, Severus, and you know it."

"Finally, and most importantly in my opinion, why should I help Sirius Black?"

"You wouldn't be helping him, I am. And you'd be helping me."

He sighed. "Very well," he said crisply. "I may be able to find the time to brew this. You will, of course, supply the ingredients I do not have?"

"Of course," she said, fighting to conceal her excitement. "Anything you need."

He nodded once. "I will be in contact with you."

She nodded back and smiled. "Thank you, Severus, this is much appreciated." She leaned over the desk to kiss his cheek quickly—did he blush? "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to the Headmaster's office—"

"Yes, you wouldn't want dear _Remus_ to get worried, would you?"

"He's not as bad as you think."

"That is a matter of opinion."

Shaking her head hopelessly, she said, "Thank you again, Severus. I'll see you at the next meeting. Oh," she added before leaving the office. "Please don't mention this to Sirius or Remus; I want to surprise them."

"I'll try to refrain," he muttered.

She smirked, winked, and left the office, feeling much better than she had before. She only hoped her book was right and this could help Sirius.

* * *

"So what did Dumbledore want you for?" Sirius asked as casually as he could, sipping a butterbeer. After leaving Hogwarts, Sirius, Remus, and Emmeline had headed down into Hogsmeade for a quick dinner at the Three Broomsticks.

Remus shrugged. "He, er, needs someone to escort Arabella Figg to Germany and back this weekend."

Sirius and Emmeline stared at him for a minute. "And he wants you to do it?" Sirius said flatly.

Again, Remus shrugged.

"What did you tell him?" Emmeline asked.

"I told him I'd get back to him tomorrow," Remus said, taking a bite of his stew. "I wanted to talk with the two of you first."

"Nice of you to think of us," Sirius muttered.

Remus sighed. "Should I even ask your opinion on this, Sirius?"

"Do what you want," Sirius said with a half-shrug. "I'm not your father."

Remus ran a hand through his hair in mounting frustration and turned to Emmeline. "What do you think?"

"It's ultimately up to you," she answered. "Would it just be you and Arabella?"

He nodded. "Look, this is nothing like France. I won't be in the wilderness with the nearest sign of civilization being a hundred miles away."

"No, you'll be in a foreign country where you don't know anybody, and you could get lost or killed and nobody would look twice at you," Sirius whispered angrily. "And if you do get into trouble, it's not like Arabella will be any help."

_As if you would be more help_, Remus thought angrily. He refrained from saying it aloud. "Sirius, I'll be fine. It's a three-day trip."

Sirius shrugged again. "Like I said, do what you want. You've said it before: You can't be expected to keep reading books for the Order. You're a big boy now."

Remus sighed. As much as he loved Sirius, even the fact that his best friend was desperately protective, he didn't know how much of this he could take. Remus' disappearance in France was still at the forefront of Sirius' mind, no matter how often Remus assured him he would be fine when he was just going to Diagon Alley for the day. Remus hadn't forgotten his experience in France either—he still had nightmares from time to time, but he couldn't let those three months keep him from the rest of his life. "I'll be fine, Sirius," he said quietly.

Sirius nodded, obviously not near being convinced, and continued to sip his drink, not looking at either of his friends.

"Why does Arabella need to go to Germany?" Emmeline asked quietly.

"She's been acting as Dumbledore's representative in German affairs for the Order. Everything goes through her—she's been going out there every few months, but Dumbledore's worried the Death Eaters may have found out who she is, and he doesn't want her going alone," Remus explained. "So I'd be acting as her nephew, taking his dear aunt on a short vacation."

"When would you leave?"

"Day after tomorrow."

"So you'd be gone for Halloween," Sirius said, not looking at him. "Again."

"Well, this time will be voluntary, but yes, I would be gone for Halloween," Remus said. That had been the first thing he'd thought of, and it was the reason he'd been nervous about mentioning it to Sirius—Halloween was one of the hardest times of the year for Sirius, and Remus didn't like leaving him to spend it alone.

Sirius nodded and drained his butterbeer, reaching into his pockets for a few Galleons to pay for their meals. "I'll see you at home," he said shortly, standing and walking to the pub's fireplaces to Floo home.

Remus dropped his head into his hands. He probably should have followed Sirius to stop him from breaking anything fragile in the cottage, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. The world wasn't going to stop just because Sirius was pouting; he'd just have to get over it, as much as Remus hated to think like that. But they were both adults, and they both had things they needed to take care of—well, not Sirius so much; he mostly spent his days staring out the kitchen window now.

"You're going to do this, aren't you?" Emmeline asked quietly.

"You two act like I'm leaving forever," Remus said. "It's three days."

"I'm just wondering so I can plan dinner for the rest of the week, that's all," she said, her lips twitching. Remus smiled a little. "I'm behind you on this, just as long as you come back to me in one piece."

"Does he have no faith in the fact that I can take care of myself?" Remus asked, turning to her. "He acts like I'm a first year whenever I suggest doing something for the Order that doesn't involve a library."

Emmeline shook her head. "That's not what it is, Remus. He knows you can take care of yourself. He's just... worried. He nearly lost you last year, we all did, and he doesn't want to take that chance again. Sirius wouldn't know what to do if something happened to you. You didn't see him while you were lost in France, but he was a complete mess. He didn't know whether he was coming or going half the time. I swear, if the rest of us hadn't been around to keep him from doing something stupid... well, he would've done something stupid."

"Sirius does stupid things every day. Why would my being in France make things any different?"

"Because on a normal day, you're around to fix his stupid things," Emmeline said with no trace of humor in her eyes. "He spent those three months in a complete daze. If Maxime hadn't found you, he would have been absolutely destroyed. I've never seen a friendship like the one you and he have. He's just looking out for you."

Remus sighed. "I know. We'd better get back. Maybe I can get to him before he pulls out the Ogden's."

When they Flooed back to the cottage, it took only a second to realize Sirius wasn't there. As far as they could tell, he hadn't even come home. "Where would he have gone?" Emmeline asked as Remus came back in from the backyard. He'd gone to see if Sirius' motorbike was missing—it wasn't.

"Who knows." Remus sighed, dropping heavily into a kitchen chair. "There aren't exactly a lot of places he could go, right?"

* * *

The Gryffindor common room was packed that night as students studied, socialized, and laid around on the sofas and chairs. At a corner table, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were doing their best to finish their homework before the weekend, since three of the four in the group would be playing Quidditch on Saturday. It wasn't as easy as it sounded, though; for the last half hour, Ron had been beating his head against his Defense book. After the first fifteen minutes, Hermione stopped trying to prevent him giving himself a concussion—Ginny pointed out he couldn't damage his head worse than it already was.

"You know, I used to like Defense Against the Dark Arts," Ron muttered, his forehead resting on a page depicting a wizard having the Cruciatus Curse used on him. "I was never as good as Harry, but as least I was passing. Now I have no chance."

"If you keep talking like that, you won't," Hermione said, finishing the same report Ron was having so much trouble with. "Maybe if you listened in class instead of sleeping for a change..."

Ron lifted his head. "It's not my fault! We were on the pitch until eleven last night."

"Well, then you should learn how to manage your time a little better," Hermione replied loftily, stuffing her books into her schoolbag.

"We've got a match against Slytherin this week, though. We can't lose this game—"

"Didn't they have this argument yesterday?" Ginny asked Harry quietly.

He nodded. "They're running out of things to argue about..."

Ginny laughed quietly and looked at the portrait hole as it opened. Neville stumbled through and sat alone on a sofa, not looking around at his fellow students once. Everyone in the school knew of what had happened to his parents over the summer, but no one really knew what to say to him when he looked like that. Harry had tried a few times, and he was pretty sure Neville had ignored him every time.

It wasn't fair that Neville's parents had met the fate they had. Harry knew what happened to the Longbottoms fifteen years ago, and that there wasn't any hope of them recovering, but Sirius always said there were medical breakthroughs every day—of course, he was usually talking about Remus' Lycanthropy, but both conditions were supposed to be incurable, so why couldn't there have been a chance that Neville's parents could have one day been all right?

"Maybe if you'd get your head out of your arse!" Hermione yelled. The entire common room was suddenly silent and looking at her.

Harry raised his eyebrows and turned slowly to Ginny. "She did not just say that," he whispered in disbelief.

Ginny couldn't answer; she was too busy trying not to laugh at the look on Ron's face. Ron was staring at Hermione in total shock, also unable to respond. Finally, Hermione realized that all the attention was on her. Without another word, she picked up her schoolbag, tossed it over her shoulder in an attempt to regain back some of her dignity, and went up to her dorm.

"What just happened?" Ron whispered weakly.

"I think Hermione's getting impatient," Ginny said, sniggering. "I'm going to go talk to her. Good night, Harry," she added, quickly kissing Harry before following Hermione's path.

"I still don't get it," Ron said, turning to Harry.

Harry shook his head. "You're on your own for this one, mate. Come on, we should get to bed. It's nearly midnight."

* * *

Emmeline wandered into the living room just past two a.m. after finding Remus wasn't lying beside her. She found him sitting on the sofa, an open book on the coffee table in front of him, staring into the fireplace. "Do you plan on coming to bed anytime soon?"

"Just waiting for Sirius go get back," he said tonelessly.

She sighed and sat beside him. "Have you tried contacting him?"

He nodded. "He left the two-way mirror for Harry and he stopped carrying his wand around weeks ago."

"Hmm," she said thoughtfully. "What about the Order map?" By the look on his face, using the map he and Sirius developed hadn't even crossed his mind. He stood and started to make his way into their bedroom where they kept the map, but stopped in his tracks when the fireplace filled with emerald flames, and Sirius stepped out. "I'll just go to bed, then," Emmeline said, squeezing Remus' hand as she passed him in the hall.

The two friends stared at one another. "Hey," Remus finally said.

"Hey."

"So where've you been?"

Sirius shrugged. "Out," he answered, obviously not wanting to expand. "Why're you still up?"

"Waiting for you," Remus said flatly. "But you're back, and in one piece, so I'll get to bed. Good night, Sirius." He started down the hall again, but stopped when Sirius called him back.

"Hold on a second," he said quietly. Remus turned and raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Look, I've been thinking—" Remus resisted using his usual jokes about Sirius and thinking. "I'm sorry I acted like I did. You're free to do as you please, and to be honest, I'm glad you're still willing to do something like this after what happened to you—I don't think I'd be able to do that. So have a good trip and I'll see you in three days."

Remus smiled slightly. "Thank you, Padfoot. I don't leave until tomorrow, but I will be careful, I promise."

Sirius nodded. "So you'll tell Dumbledore you're going, then?"

Remus nodded back. "Good night, Padfoot."

"Night, Moony. Oh, and give Figgy my love."

Remus laughed all the way to his bedroom.

* * *

Sirius lay awake in his bed, his arms behind his head, thinking. Instead of coming back to the cottage after leaving the Three Broomsticks, he'd gone to Naomi's flat. He'd told her what Remus was going to do in hopes she could keep the other Death Eaters busy closer to home—she said she'd do what she could, and that was enough for Sirius. For now, anyway.

He was beginning to lose patience; waiting for Healers and researchers to discover what happened to him was starting to grate his nerves. He decided he would take matters into his own hands after his little appointment at the Ministry hospital tomorrow. He'd get his magic back on his own, since no one else besides Emmeline and Remus seemed concerned about it. Naomi suggested he start out simple—making feathers float was the first spell students at Hogwarts learned, and that couldn't exhaust him too much. His only problem, as Naomi pointed out over a late night pizza, was that he was too stubborn to quit when he did start to tire out. Well, he'd just have to get un-stubborn—maybe Emmeline could help him while Remus was gone, or he could go to his old flat where all his Hogwarts books were, and have Naomi come over to help him. Either way, he would be doing this, and he would succeed, no matter how long it took.

He needed to get back to the Ministry and to his Aurors. According to Tonks, Scrimgeour was trying to weed his way in as Dawlish's second-in-command, and he needed to be knocked down a few pegs—who better to do it than Sirius?

As far as he could tell, Dawlish was no closer to catching any Death Eaters when he'd started, and was further from it than Sirius ever was. His temporary replacement had the Aurors doing paperwork instead of following leads. The only people sent out on actual missions were the highest ranked Aurors. Those who'd only been in the Ministry for a year or two were stuck back at Headquarters pushing parchment and reviewing files they'd been over a thousand times. Soon it'd be time for training and deciding who would receive promotions. If Dawlish was the one seeing over it, nobody who deserved promotions would get them, and those who regularly kissed Dawlish's arse would. Maybe the Minister would allow Sirius to look over the reviews and training exercises to make sure things went the way they should.

Besides, Sirius was anxious to see Scrimgeour again. Every time Sirius made a surprise visit into Auror Headquarters, the other wizard was conveniently absent. Sirius was pleased to think Scrimgeour was avoiding him—he had good reason to do so.

Yawning widely and scratching his bare chest, Sirius turned to his alarm clock and groaned. It was going on five a.m. and he had to be at the Ministry at nine for tests with the Healers. They suggested he get all the rest possible the night before; the tests would be draining on his mind and body, since they didn't know how much of his powers had returned, if any. He turned on his side facing a picture of Remus, Harry and himself from a few Christmases ago, and closed his eyes. Sleep caught up with him minutes later.


	12. Twelve

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Twelve_

_Inside a small bookstore on Diagon Alley called Lupin Imports, a small boy of four years old sat on a tall wooden stool in front of the counter reading a Muggle children's book. Most children his age wouldn't be able to comprehend what they were seeing, but this boy was special. His parents, both rather intelligent themselves, had started to teach him to read only six months before, and already he was reading everything he could get his hands on. He loved going to work with his father and sorting through the shop's weekly delivery of Muggle books. For hours, he sat happily in the storeroom while his father, John, helped the flood of customers, curious about Muggle literature, out front._

_The Lupin family did well with their small shop. They weren't rich by any means, but they were nowhere near struggling, either. Rebecca Lupin was a Muggle nurse in a London hospital, though she found plenty of time to spend time with her pride and joy: her son Remus. John was a pureblood wizard, and well-known and mostly respected among the magical community. After he'd met and fallen in love with a Muggle woman, there'd been many who, believing he'd made a mistake in mixing blood, had lost respect for him. Even members of his own family stopped speaking with him. None of them mattered to John, though; he adored his family, his wife and son, and the opinion of the rest of the world was the last thing on his mind. Especially on one cold day in February._

_The day started out as normally as any other. John and his small staff of two received a large shipment from America and spent two hours before opening the shop cataloguing and placing the books on shelves. Remus sat on his stool with his legs kicking over the edge, checking off books as his father pointed them out to him. At nine o'clock, they unlocked the doors and invited in a few potential customers._

_John lifted Remus from the stool and took him to the storeroom. "Okay, Remus, my boy," he said, setting the small boy at a desk with crayons and a coloring book. "Stay back here and play until lunch and maybe we can stop by Florean Fortescue's for dessert. How does that sound?"_

"_Mummy says no sweets before dinner. She says it'll ruin my appetite," Remus said, picking up a green crayon._

"_Well, what Mummy doesn't know won't hurt her, now will it?" John said mischievously, ruffling Remus' sandy brown hair._

"_John! We need some help up here!" called Diane, one of John's employees. _

"_On my way!" John called back. "Alright, mate. I've got to go up front. You going to be okay back here on your own?"_

"_Yeah." Remus smiled, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth as he started coloring a picture of a leprechaun. "I'm fine."_

_John smiled fondly and left the child to his coloring. The morning went on without incident; unless one counts a wizard complaining that none of the books had moving pictures. "What good is a picture if it doesn't move?" the wizard asked._

"_These are Muggle books," John said patiently. "Muggles can't make pictures move."_

"_Yeah? What about those televizzies things they have?"_

"_Those aren't books, and I believe the word is 'television.'" _

_The wizard ended up leaving without purchasing a thing, grumbling about the incompetence of Muggles, and how they couldn't even do simple things like make a picture in a book move. Things like that happened often, and John had learned early not to take it personally. Some wizards just didn't have broad enough minds. A young witch approached him moments later asking if he had the _Lord of the Rings_ series, and he forgot all about narrow-minded wizards._

_As promised, John took Remus to lunch, and after, to Florean Fortescue's for ice cream. Before going back to the bookshop, Remus dragged his father into the Magical Menagerie to look at the rabbits that turned into top hats. _

"_Can I get one, Dad?" Remus asked excitedly as one of the rabbits jumped out of its cage and into the child's arms._

"_Not today, son." John smiled, gently taking the animal and putting it back into the cage. "Come on, we've got to get back to the shop."_

* * *

_The shop closed at eight o'clock that night, and John sent his two employees home. All he had to do was count their earnings for the day and tidy up a bit before he and Remus would go home. Father and son were unpacking the new arrival books when there was a loud knock on the glass door. John straightened up from where he was bent over a box and narrowed his eyes at the gray-haired man outside._

"_Remus..." John said slowly, not looking away from the door. "Go in back and get Daddy's cloak."_

"_Kay," Remus said, running to the storeroom._

_Cautiously, John went to the door, slipping his wand into the sleeve of his robe. He unlocked the door and opened it a crack to speak with the man in front of him. "Help you with something, Fenrir?" he said mildly._

"_Evening, John," the man called Fenrir said, smiling with yellow teeth. The effect made his face look almost monster-like. "Just wanted to drop by and see how the shop's doing."_

"_Come back another time; we're closed." Normally, John didn't refuse a customer after closing, but he didn't want Fenrir Greyback anywhere near his son—John knew what this man was. He made to close the door, but Greyback stuck his foot out to keep him from doing just that._

"_Oh, come now, John. You can make time for old friends, can't you?" Greyback grinned darkly._

"_If any of my _old friends_ came by, I'd be happy to let them in, but at the moment, I don't see any of my _old friends_," John said coldly. "Now if you'll so kindly remove your foot from my door—"_

_Greyback chuckled humorlessly. "Open the door, Lupin. Don't be stupid."_

_John glared for a moment. Before he could tell Greyback to get off his property, the storeroom door opened, and Remus ran out, dragging John's cloak behind him. "Got it, Dad," he said happily._

_Without thinking, John knelt down to intercept his son before he could get to the door. He'd released his grip on the door, and realized a second too late that Greyback had entered his shop, closing the door sharply behind him._

"_Who's this, then?" Greyback asked interestedly._

_John closed his eyes tightly and stood with Remus in his arms, keeping the boy as far from Greyback as he could. "Get out, Greyback," he said through clenched teeth._

"_Not until we get something straight, Lupin." John noticed immediately that the mock-pleasantness in the other man's voice was gone. "You haven't gotten back to me with your answer on my proposal. Why is that?"_

"_Because I wouldn't go into business with you if the world was about to end," John said calmly. He wanted Greyback out... Now._

"_I could arrange that, you know," Greyback said in a voice that sent a shiver down John's spine—he hid it well. "How's that pretty wife of yours? Muggle, isn't she? And I suppose this is your boy, is it?"_

"_Dad?" Remus asked meekly, trying to shrink away into John's chest._

"_It's all right, Remus," John said, increasing the grip around his son. "You stay away from my family," he added in a growl to Greyback._

"_Remus, huh?" Greyback said. "Remus Lupin... Interesting name, John. Did your Muggle bitch come up with it?"_

_John's wand was out and pointed at Greyback's chest before the other man could blink. "Get the hell out of my shop. If you ever come back, I won't even bother with calling the Ministry; I'll deal with you myself."_

_Greyback didn't have a wand, so he was defenseless against the wizard. He sneered, and his eyes narrowed at Remus. "We'll speak again soon, John." He turned on his heel wrenched the door open so hard it slammed into a display of Muggle cooking books._

_Once he was out, John slammed the door shut, sealing it with the strongest locking charm he could think of. "Dad, who was that?" Remus asked quietly, shaking a bit in his father's arms._

"_He's a bad man, Remus. If you ever see him around here again, you're to tell me immediately. Do you understand?"_

_Remus nodded. "Yes, sir. I don't like him; he's scary."_

You've got no idea, son_, John thought. "Yes, he is. We should get home to your mother, hmm?" Unpacking the books could wait until morning; John wanted his son out of Diagon Alley in case Greyback decided to come back. _

* * *

"All right, Mr. Black, do you have your wand?" the old Healer asked the following afternoon.

Sirius nodded and stood from the stool he'd occupied for the last two hours and pulled his wand from his robes. A team of Healers set to examining him once again.

"Good, good. Now, we're going to start off with something simple," Healer Jones said, holding up a white feather and placing it on a table. Don't be discouraged if you can't do it at first. If you start to tire, just tell us, and we'll take a break. Whenever you're ready, Mr. Black."

Again, Sirius nodded and sighed. He held his wand tightly in his hand, staring the feather down as though it was a mortal enemy. For five hours, he'd had to endure tests and questions and pokes and prods with only an hour's break for lunch. He'd joined Emmeline, Tonks, Charlie, and Arthur in the Ministry cafeteria—he'd forgotten how horrible the food was, but it was good to be back where he belonged. After lunch came more tests, more pokes and prods, and more questions, and now, finally, they were getting to what Sirius really wanted to do. The Healers decided it was safe for him to at least attempt a levitation spell—the most elementary spell a wizard could ever cast. He recalled his first ever Charms lesson with Professor Flitwick, back when he was eleven, and the simple wand movement, swish and flick.

_Here goes... something, I hope_, he thought before nodding to the Healers. They nodded back and set their quills over their parchment, preparing to take more notes. "_Wingardium Leviosa_," he said firmly and confidently. His shoulders slumped when the feather sat there innocently, mocking his very being. He tried again and again, until the Healers actually took the feather from the table and forced him to sit down.

"Do you really have to do all this again?" he asked exasperatedly as the Healers crowded around him, waving their wands up and down his body.

"It will only take a few more minutes, Mr. Black, and you'll be free to go," one Healer said soothingly.

An hour later, Sirius was finally walking down the Ministry corridors to Emmeline's office in the Department of Magical Transportation. Her office door was open and she was issuing instructions to one of her employees. She spotted him, smiled, and waved him in. When she finished, the other witch left the office, looking appraisingly at Sirius as she went.

"How'd it go?" Emmeline asked.

"Well," Sirius said, sitting in a chair across from her desk. "At this rate, I'll be able to transfigure a toothpick into a needle in about ten years."

She smiled sympathetically. "That bad, huh?"

"The feather did flutter a bit, but I think that was more because of all the swishing and flicking I was doing," he said flatly. "Have you heard from Remus?"

"Not yet," she answered. "But their train doesn't arrive in Berlin until six, so there's no need to worry. I don't think."

Sirius nodded. "Alright, well, I'll let you get back to work. I'm going to stop by Auror Headquarters, then head back to the cottage. See you tonight."

"Hey, don't be too upset by what happened today, Sirius. This is going to take patience and concentration."

"Two things I don't have," Sirius muttered. "I'll be fine. See you."

"Bye," she called as he left the office.

Hoping his next destination wouldn't make him feel any worse than he already did, Sirius stepped onto the crowded lift, hitting the level six button as the golden grilles closed. Auror Headquarters hadn't changed physically, but it was obvious that something had. Normally the place was full of chatter and laughter; now, half the Aurors silently hunched over their desks, working. Someone spotted him and the entire place erupted. There was so much noise that Dawlish tore open his—correction, _Sirius'_—office door, glaring around for the source. Sirius extricated himself from Tonks' death grip around his waist and made his way to Dawlish.

"Hello, sir," Dawlish said a bit nervously. "Didn't know you were stopping by today."

"That's why they call them surprise visits. I want to talk with Scrimgeour. Where is he?" Sirius asked, looking over Dawlish's shoulder into the Head Auror office.

"Oh, er, he's off today."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "On a Thursday?"

"Yes, well, he had a few things to take care of."

"You know, you never did tell me why you went behind my back and brought him in here," Sirius said. "Because I'm pretty sure I made it quite clear that I didn't want him in my squads."

"We need all the Aurors we can get, Sirius. Without you—" Dawlish began.

"Oh, cut the crap!" Sirius said loudly, very aware that every Auror in Headquarters was listening in. "You've been fighting to get him back here for a year, and you're too much of a wanker to do it while I'm here, so you waited until I was out of the picture. You do realize every single Auror except Scrimgeour hates you, right? Tell me, Dawlish, one thing you've done in my absence to further our chances in this war. How many Death Eaters have you brought in since I've been gone?"

"Well, none, but we've been staking out—"

"You have no idea what it takes to do this job, do you?" Sirius asked quietly. "It's not about staking places out, having a meeting, and then going out and cleaning up messes. If you want to succeed, you've got to actually get out there and do something. Otherwise, we're going to lose. Now, I'm going to talk to Bones about coming back here—that would mean you get your old job back. And I really think it's rather sad that I've got to come back just to baby-sit you, but I'm afraid that if I don't, you're going to ruin my squads. You can tell Scrimgeour he can stay, but I will be having a chat with him about who the boss is around here, and if he crosses me once, you're both gone, since you seem to like him more than you like me. I'll be back on Monday, and if he's not here, make sure both of your cubicles are cleared out on Tuesday. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," Dawlish said through gritted teeth.

"Good. See you on Monday, then."

* * *

Remus sat down on a barstool in a local pub in Berlin and ordered a drink. He and Arabella had arrived on time, got settled in their motel rooms, and gone for a bite to eat. Arabella had turned in rather early, but Remus found he couldn't sleep—his excuse was that the bed was lumpy, but he knew it was because Emmeline wasn't beside him. He'd contacted his girlfriend and Sirius after dinner to assure them he was still alive and well, and to make sure Sirius wasn't getting into any trouble. Of course, any prank the wizard could come up with to use on Emmeline, she could get him just as good, if not better.

The bartender placed a glass in front of Remus and walked away to tend his other customers. Sipping at his brandy, he looked around the small, shabby pub with one hand in his jacket pocket, wrapped around his wand. He was in a foreign town, and if there was any trouble, he'd have an advantage. For the most part, the pub's patrons consisted of men having a nightcap and hitting on women who came in, so Remus didn't expect any problems.

Of course, even Remus Lupin could be wrong at times.

Just as he finished his drink and prepared to return to his room for the night, one of the least likely people walked through the door. Remus increased the grip on his wand as Fenrir Greyback spotted him and grinned a snarling, yellow-toothed grin. Luckily, Remus noticed, the other werewolf seemed to be alone at the moment. Greyback sat in the empty stool beside Remus wordlessly and ordered drink from the bartender.

"So, Lupin, long time no see." Greyback said without looking at him.

"Not long enough, Greyback," Remus replied. "Might I ask what you're doing in Berlin?"

"You may not." Greyback laughed throatily, as if mocking Remus' formality. "Shouldn't you be back in London trying to keep people like me off the streets?"

"What do you want, Greyback?" Remus asked quietly. "Looking for fresh meat?"

"Why deny the rest of us our fun, little Lupin, just because you're not embracing the wolf?"

"Because all you are, _Fenrir_, is a murderer," Remus replied. "And I look forward to the moment we finally have enough proof of to catch you."

"You really think you and your little freedom fighters will win this war, don't you? Well, let me tell you something, boy," Greyback said, turning to Remus. "You're going to lose. You and all your little friends; that is, unless you come to the other side, the right side. The only side. The Dark Lord rewards his followers, Remus. Can you say that about your Mudblood-lover Dumbledore?"

"No," Remus said. "But he also doesn't kill us if we don't give him the answers he wants."

Greyback downed the rest of his drink and leaned in close to Remus. The younger werewolf tried not to pull away from the other's putrid breath. "When you come to your senses, the Dark Lord will be waiting. Otherwise, I'll see you at your funeral." Greyback threw a few coins on the bar and left the pub without another word, leaving Remus to wonder how or if Greyback knew he'd be there, and if he'd see Greyback again before his three day trip was over.

* * *

A noise in the kitchen woke Sirius from a restless sleep. He stared at the ceiling, trying to make out shapes by the moonlight, for ten minutes before finally deciding to get up and investigate. Figuring it was just Emmeline going for a late-night snack, he put on a pair of jeans before leaving his room. He found his suspicions to be correct when he reached the kitchen—Emmeline was sitting at the table, nursing a cup of tea.

"Want some company?" he asked, pouring some hot water into a clean cup and grabbing a teabag from the box on the counter.

She smiled as he sat across from him. "Did I wake you?"

He shrugged. "No worries. It's not like I've got to be anywhere in the morning. Can't sleep?'

"No," she answered with a sigh. "Not the same, sleeping here without Remus."

"Oh, please." He grinned. "I can't see how you sleep when he is here, the way he snores. James used to put silencing charms around his bed at school."

"I've got my own ways to keep him from snoring." Emmeline grinned.

"Yeah, I so didn't need to know that..."

Emmeline laughed. "Do you have any plans for tomorrow? Well, today now..."

Sirius sipped his tea and nodded. "I was going to head out to Godric's Hollow and visit Lily and James. After that, I'll probably sit around staring at the fireplace the whole night."

Emmeline nodded. "So you're not going to Naomi's, then?" she asked casually.

Sirius choked on his tea. "Why would I go to Naomi's?" he sputtered.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just got the idea the two of you had been seeing quite a bit of each other lately," she said lightly.

"And what would make you think that?"

"Well, I was cleaning Harry's room the other day, and I found a crumpled letter from her to you..."

Sirius sighed. "How much does Remus know?"

"He's clueless." Sirius nodded. "But I think you should tell him before he finds out on his own. He's not stupid, Sirius. He will find out eventually."

"I know," Sirius said. "And I will tell him."

"When?"

"I was thinking on my death bed."

Emmeline rolled her eyes but smiled. "I don't blame you for being nervous about telling him this, but I think he'll take it a lot better if he hears it from you rather than someone else."

"You really think he'll take it well?"

"That's not what I said. You'll be lucky to get away with only a black eye."

"Thanks for that vote of confidence," he muttered flatly.

Emmeline continued to watch him with that thoughtful expression she had. "Can I just ask a question?" He nodded. "What is it about her you like? After what she put Remus through... For the first year in this war, she fought against us."

"Yes, but for the last two, she's been risking her life to give us as much information as she can. You know she tried to help Remus in France?"

"If she had really wanted to help him, why didn't she tell us where he was? Sirius, he could have died out there, and we never would have known. Look, I'll give you this: she has passed us some good information, but she's still got a lot going against her."

"I haven't forgotten what she did to Remus," he said quietly, looking at the table. "But that was fifteen years ago. We've all made mistakes, even you. You dated Snape." She glared at him. "I'm not saying that as an insult—okay, maybe a little insult, but I do have a point. You knew he was a Death Eater, right? And you still trusted him, didn't you?"

"The war was over when I started seeing Severus. It was different. I knew he'd been a Death Eater, yes, but I also knew where his loyalties lay—"

"And I know where Naomi's lay," he said patiently. "She wouldn't do anything to hurt Remus anymore than she has. Everything she's done, she's done to keep him safe."

"So what makes you think she's not just using you to get him back?"

"She knows he's happy with you and that he loves you more than anything in the world. She's trying to make up for her mistakes, Emmeline. She still cares for him, yes, but she knows there's no chance that he'll come back to her. And if you don't believe that, I can tell you for certain he hasn't even thought about going back to her," he said.

"But you're still with her, knowing how she feels about him?"

He shrugged. "I care about her and she cares about me. I trust her," he said simply.

"Why?"

"I've known her since I was five years old, longer than I've known Remus, and I know when she's telling the truth. I realize she broke Remus' heart, and I know he'll probably never forgive her, but she regrets it. I think she regrets what she did to him more than the actual fact that she became a Death Eater."

"And you don't see something wrong with that?"

"Considering the relationship they had, no," he replied. "Their relationship was absolutely perfect until she left him. I know that's probably not what you want to hear, but it's true. They would have done anything for each other, just like he would do anything for you. She knows she made the biggest mistake of her life by leaving him. But even she deserves to be happy. Right?"

Emmeline sighed. "I guess."

Sirius watched her for a moment. "Do you feel threatened by her?"

"A little," she admitted. "Like you said, their relationship was perfect before they broke up. How can I live up to perfection?"

"You already have." Sirius smiled. "Emmeline, I don't remember ever seeing Remus as happy as he is with you. He turns into a complete idiot when you're around and you can't get one coherent word out of him. I can see the two of you getting married and having a huge family. He'd do whatever it took to make you happy."

"I know," she said quietly with a shadow of a smile.

"And the added fact that you've accepted Harry and me without question only makes him happier. Just being associated with us is a death wish, and here you are, living with us without a second thought. You've got nothing to worry about when it comes to Naomi. As for me... I promise to talk to Remus."

"That's all I ask," Emmeline said. "Just be careful with Naomi, okay? I know you trust her, but we are in a war, and it's very easy to misplace trust."

Sirius winked. "When am I not careful?"

Emmeline raised an eyebrow and finished her tea, obviously finding it better not to answer. "I'll see you in the morning, Sirius," she said before going down the hall to bed.

* * *

_Rolling his eyes, Harry followed the path through a forest that looked as thought it'd been made just for his use. Since this was most likely another Voldemort vision, it probably had been. The trees were oddly calm and quiet as he walked, and was all the more proof that he was somewhere he shouldn't be. He followed the path until he came upon an open field that stretched as far as his eyes could see. As he began to wonder what the point of this was, a castle, larger than Hogwarts, materialized before him._

"_I've been here before," he muttered to himself, letting his feet carry him to the entrance. He could feel the freezing cold he associated with dementors pour over him as he got closer. A thick green fog surrounded him, making it difficult to see, but the dream guided him through without him running into anything. He navigated the dark corridors easily, turning corners and going up staircases automatically until he reached a tall pair of stone doors. Looking over his shoulder briefly, Harry pushed the doors open and entered a room with a high mirror ceiling and shining black floors. _

_Unsurprisingly, the room wasn't empty; Death Eaters wearing hooded cloaks gathered in a circle, staring at the center where Harry suspected Lord Voldemort was standing. The circle of Death Eaters was deathly quiet as their master paced back and forth, deep in thought._

"_Two years," Voldemort said softly, sending a chill down Harry's spine. "It has been two years since my return, and I am no closer to my goal than I was then. Every attempt to destroy my enemies has failed, as has my desire to gain knowledge of the prophecy. Not even I could break the barriers of Harry Potter's mind to discover the secrets needed to destroy him. The boy has been receiving Occlumency lessons from Emmeline Vance, a rather accomplished Legilimens in her own right and Head of the Department of Magical Transportation. For the three days that I occupied young Potter's mind, I came across some interesting information: It seems Miss Vance has developed a relationship with the werewolf Lupin. Yes, even a dirty beast like Lupin can get a woman in his bed." Voldemort laughed coldly. _

"_But we are not here to discuss the love lives of werewolves and blood traitors; we are here to discuss how I will destroy Harry Potter. The obvious choice would be to go after his so-called family. The trouble is every last one of you seems incapable of murdering a wizard with no magical powers or a werewolf. I've decided that if I want this done correctly, I will have to do it myself. By the New Year, the names Lupin, Black, and Potter will be only spoken of in the past tense..."_

* * *

Unfortunately, Harry heard no more; Ron was shaking him awake by his shoulders. "Harry, come on! We're already late for Herbology," Ron was saying.

Harry's eyes snapped open and he had to keep from slapping his best friend in annoyance. "I'm up," he groaned, pushing the blankets away from him. Ron backed away from Harry's bed while the other got up and dressed, rubbing his scar as he did so. By the time they left the dormitory for class, Harry's dream was entirely forgotten.

* * *

Sirius walked through Godric's Hollow cemetery carrying a single rose. He'd already been to see Lily and James, and now he was going to find Julia's grave. There'd only been three other times since his release from Azkaban that he'd gone to see her, and he felt terrible about that. How was it so easy for him to see his best friends' graves, but not the grave of the woman he'd wanted to marry? He found her gravestone under a large tree and tried to smile as he set the rose on top of it.

"Hey, Jules," he said quietly, kneeling in front of the grave. "I'm sorry I haven't been by in, what, five years? I've got no excuses. I miss you every day, and I think about you all the time." He sighed and sat down cross-legged on the grass. "So I guess you know I've been seeing Naomi for the last few months. She's not you, but I do care about her. Moony's going to kill me when he finds out." He grinned a bit.

"Julia... I'm sorry I wasn't there to save you. I seem to have a lot of trouble keeping my loved ones safe, don't I? You didn't deserve what happened to you. There was so much you didn't get a chance to experience. Could you imagine the family we could have had, Jules? Little girls running around with black hair and your gorgeous blue eyes... Little boys with my lack of respect for authority." He chuckled quietly, sadly.

"Why'd you have to leave me? I know it wasn't your choice, but... I don't know. I still love you as much as I did the day I was going to propose to you. But I know you wouldn't want me to live my life alone. You'd want me to move on, start a family. But every time I think about a family without you, it doesn't seem right. It feels like I'm cheating on you in someway. That probably sounds really stupid, and you're probably laughing your head off at me, but I always saw myself with you and nobody else. But then Naomi shows up again, and I find myself thinking about a future with her. I'm not ready to go out and buy a ring or anything, but I can picture us together, with a family. After the war, of course.

"Julia," he sighed. "I will always love you more than anything, but you're gone, and there isn't anything I can do to change that. I've come to tell you that I'm going on with my life, the way you would want me to. Please know that I will never, ever forget you. Nothing short of the world's strongest memory charm could make me forget you. I love you, Julia." He stood and moved to her gravestone to kiss the top.

"Good bye."


	13. Thirteen

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Thirteen_

The front door of the cottage opened late on a Saturday afternoon and Remus stepped over its threshold gratefully. He and Arabella had arrived at King's Cross Station two hours ago and he'd sidelong-Apparated her back to Privet Drive. Harry hadn't lived there for over ten years, which had been her original reason for moving there, but she didn't seem to have any reason to leave. Personally, Remus would have been gone two seconds after Harry had portkeyed out of there.

Once Arabella had dropped her things off at her home, the pair had gone to Hogwarts to fill Dumbledore in on their trip. The Headmaster had been quite interested in Fenrir Greyback's appearance at the pub in Berlin. According to Dumbledore, the werewolf had been missing in action for some time—the last he'd been seen by either of the Order's spies was at a Death Eater meeting following an argument with a wizard outside a pub that most of the Order of the Phoenix had witnessed. Greyback was probably trying to rally the werewolves in Germany, and Remus had always been at the top of the list that Voldemort wanted on his side. Remus assured Dumbledore he would be careful, and he returned home wondering what it was about him the Death Eaters wanted so badly.

The living room and kitchen of the cottage were empty, with no sign of his best friend or his girlfriend. He walked down the hall to his bedroom and found Emmeline folding clothes over the bed, his old record player playing quietly in the background. As quietly as he could, he set down his bag and snuck up behind her, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist and kissing her neck.

"Sirius, we can't do this now," she said with a giggle. "Remus will be home any minute..."

He ceased his assault of her neck. "Oh, you're funny," he said flatly.

She turned to face him, grinning. "I try," she said before kissing him. "Welcome home."

"Speaking of my idiotic best friend, where is he?" Remus asked when they came up for air. He released her, and they sat on the bed.

"At the Ministry," she replied. "He's talking with Bones about going back. After his appointment with the Healers the other day, he went up to Auror Headquarters. He's none too happy with how Dawlish is running things."

"Who'd he kill?"

"Surprisingly, no one," Emmeline said. "Yet, at least. I have a feeling Rufus Scrimgeour is going to have a few problems when Sirius gets back."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because Sirius said 'Scrimgeour's going to have problems when I get back.'" Emmeline grinned. Remus laughed. "Oh, and by the way, I don't recommend opening the hall closet."

"Why?" Remus asked cautiously.

"Sirius wanted to welcome you home and he enlisted the help of a box of dungbombs to do so."

Remus nodded gravely. "Thanks for the warning."

Emmeline winked and finished folding laundry. Once through with that, she crawled up on the bed beside Remus, smiled briefly, and began kissing him passionately. She pulled away slightly to catch her breath, and smiled at the dopey expression on his face. "I missed you," she whispered.

"It's only been three days," he breathed, his eyes still closed.

"Way too long," was the last sensible thing spoken for a long while.

* * *

The Gryffindor common room was filled with excited chatter as the house Quidditch team climbed through the portrait hole. They'd just beaten Slytherin 280-70, and that put them in the lead for the House Cup. The Hogwarts house-elves provided food and drinks for the celebrating Gryffindors, and the inevitable party went on well through the evening.

But the hero of the match wasn't in a celebrating mood. Harry sat on a chair in a corner, butterbeer in hand, staring out into the party unseeingly. Malfoy hadn't been playing that day. According to Ron, he'd come down with a cold and had spent the day in the Slytherin dorms. It was odd, Harry thought, that Malfoy would miss a chance to beat Gryffindor at Quidditch (or at least, _try_ to beat them). None of Harry's friends seemed very concerned about Malfoy's absence, and Harry couldn't for the life of him figure out why he should care so much. If Malfoy was sick, all the better for the rest of the school.

Harry sighed, going over the last few months in his head. The only time Harry ever saw the Malfoy was during Potions lessons; he rarely went to meals with the rest of the school anymore, and when he did go, he would have the same grey, sickly look about him as when the term began. What was it that kept Malfoy away so often?

Ron and Hermione said Malfoy had also been missing Prefect meetings and rounds. Harry had searched the Marauder's Map, hoping to catch him somewhere he wasn't supposed to be. But every time he looked, Malfoy was nowhere to be seen. Harry recalled what Sirius had told him about his dad missing from the map, and how James had gone to Hogsmeade. The only way Malfoy could get to the village between Hogsmeade weekends would be to use one of the secret passages out of the castle. But that brought another question: what would cause Malfoy to sneak out of school?

"Is there a reason you're being so antisocial?" Ginny asked, sitting on the table in front of him.

He sighed. "Just thinking," he muttered.

"About?"

He looked up at her, wondering if she would think him mental. _She already knows I'm mental_, he thought. "Why wasn't Malfoy at the match today?"

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "That's what you've been thinking about all day?" she asked disbelievingly. "Harry, what do you care if Malfoy' sick?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. That's the problem."

"You're hopeless, you know that?"

"Remus says that about me and Sirius all the time."

"Well, it's true," she said matter-of-factly. "Now, stop thinking about that git Draco Malfoy, and enjoy yourself for a change. Here, have a chocolate cauldron."

Harry caught the chocolate Ginny tossed at him and let her pull him out of his chair and into the crowd of Gryffindors. It didn't take long for Harry to get caught up in Ron's demonstration of Fred and George's Headless Hats before he stopped thinking about why Malfoy wasn't at the match. In fact, he didn't think about it for the rest of the night.

* * *

Down in the basement of the cottage, Remus stared at the item in his hand with a smile. It was one of the few things his mother had left him before her death and it was still in perfect condition, even after having been passed down through five generations. He thought he'd lost it many years ago, and he was devastated to think he had, but he'd discovered it in a box after moving back into the cottage in June. He knew exactly what to do with it now that he had it again—it was just a matter of finding the right moment. Of course, if he asked Sirius, the right moment was six months ago. But Remus had to make sure the time was perfect. He remembered the story his mum told him when she gave him the item, and he wanted that...

"Moony! What are you doing down there?" Sirius called from the top of the stairs. "Dinner's almost ready!"

"I'm on my way!" he called back, snapping the small box shut and putting it safely in the pocket of his trousers. "Just... tidying up a bit!" He looked around him, frowning at the dozens of boxes of mementos that filled the small room of the basement. Shrugging, he restacked the boxes he'd been sorting through and went up the wooden staircase to the kitchen.

"Smells delicious," he said, sniffing the air. "What are we having?"

"Spaghetti and meatballs with my mum's special sauce," Emmeline smiled, looking up from the parchment she was writing on. "So you never told us how your trip went..."

Remus stiffened a bit as he stirred the sauce on stove. "It was fine," he said hastily. "I, er, ran into Fenrir Greyback," he added, trying to sound casual.

There was silence followed by, "What?" shouted by Sirius and Emmeline in unison.

He slowly turned to them "Yeah," he said grimly. "I was in this little pub, having a drink, and he just sort of walked in."

"Did he say anything?" Sirius asked.

Remus shrugged. "Oh, the usual... Nice weather we've been having. Join Voldemort or die. That sort of thing."

"That's it?" Emmeline said.

Remus nodded. "Same old threats. What will happen if I decline his offers—he'll kill my family, all that. But I didn't see him again after that night."

"How'd he know you were there?" Emmeline asked. Remus missed the glance she sent Sirius as he reached into the fridge for a few butterbeers.

"I don't know that he did," Remus replied, sitting at the table and passing the bottles around. "He seemed surprised to see me sitting there."

"So he's recruiting again," Sirius said. "I wonder how long it will be before we start seeing attacks on a regular basis."

"Don't say that," Emmeline chided him. "It is odd, though. Greyback should know how close you are to Dumbledore, Remus. You're probably closer to him than the majority of the Order. He ought to know you'd go back and tell Dumbledore you saw him in Germany. You did tell Dumbledore, didn't you?"

"Of course," Remus answered. "Greyback's always been after me, Emmeline. During the first war, when the rest of the werewolves were running to Voldemort, I was the only one to fight with Dumbledore."

"Why would they want you, though?"

"Because he's brilliant," Sirius said simply. "He's powerful, and he's not as impulsive and violent as the other werewolves. Voldemort knows he could benefit from having Remus on his side."

"I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not," Remus said dryly.

"It's the truth. Dumbledore trusted you with the philosopher's stone, and to put all those charms around Harry's prophecy. I can't think of many people who have Dumbledore's trust the way you do," Sirius said. "This won't be the last time you've heard from Greyback, either. Voldemort's wanted you since we got out of Hogwarts."

"Wanted me dead, you mean?"

"Only on occasion," Sirius said, shrugging. Remus rolled his eyes. "Why do you think he needed you for the Albanian werewolves?"

"You know, I still don't understand that," Emmeline said, floating bowls of spaghetti to the table. "Why would Voldemort think Remus could get them on his side?"

"I was the one who talked them into staying on our side in the first place," Remus explained. "They listened to me, trusted me, and understood what it would mean if they joined him. They knew Voldemort would use them as weapons against innocent people, and they didn't want that. The Albanian colonies were two of the very few werewolf packs that lived peacefully. Not once did they attack people in the villages—they fed on animals in the forests." He shrugged. "I'm guessing that Voldemort thought if he captured and turned me, I'd be able to turn them."

"So why did Voldemort have them killed if he wanted them on his side?" Sirius asked.

"He's Voldemort," Remus said simply. "If he can't turn somebody, he kills them. That's what I thought happened to Lily and James before you told me about the prophecy."

A soft _pop_ sounded in the living room and three heads snapped in that direction simultaneously. Dumbledore entered the kitchen a moment later. "I apologize for interrupting your meal, but there has been an attack in Surrey."

"What happened?" Emmeline asked immediately.

"A hurricane, it seems, has swept through Little Whinging and its surrounding areas, destroying everything in its path. Ten are dead. Including Arabella Figg," Dumbledore said quietly.

"What?" Sirius breathed.

Remus dropped his head into his hands. Emmeline rubbed his back. "Is there anything we can do?" she asked quietly.

"At the moment, no," Dumbledore said. "Based on the information I've received from the Ministry, they are handling the Muggle witnesses."

"A hurricane?" Sirius asked dubiously. "How could a bloody hurricane go through Surrey? That's a cover story for the Muggles, right?"

"One would think so, Sirius, but alas, it is not," Dumbledore said. "There was indeed a hurricane through Surrey. I believe it is possible that Lord Voldemort has learned to control the weather."

"That's impossible," Remus said hoarsely, his eyes oddly blurred as he lowered his hands. "Nobody can control the weather."

"There is Dark Magic that can cause rain in secluded areas, but you are correct; a normal wizard cannot control the weather," Dumbledore said.

"But Voldemort isn't a normal wizard," Emmeline whispered. Dumbledore inclined his head to her. "Do you have any idea how this could have happened?"

"I am afraid not," Dumbledore said gravely. "I have learned many things about Lord Voldemort since his youth, one of those things being he enjoys experimenting with new magic. I told you in the days following his return that he absorbed the magical traces left behind by Lily and James Potter, and I believe today was a result of one of the experiments using their magic."

* * *

Emmeline, Remus, and Sirius returned to the cottage late in the afternoon following Arabella's funeral. Though she was a Squib, she'd been buried in the Godric's Hollow cemetery alongside those she fought with and for during the wars, where she belonged. Remus collapsed with a heavy sigh on the sofa, not bothering to go change out of his dress robes. It had only been a few hours between the time he'd last seen Arabella and when she'd died. Perhaps if they'd taken a later train out of Berlin, or had spent longer at Hogwarts, or even if he'd invited her to the cottage for dinner, she'd still be alive.

"It was nice ceremony," Sirius said quietly, sitting in his armchair. Remus was slightly surprised at how hard his best friend had taken the news of Arabella's death. Of course, at Order meetings during the first war, he spent half his time jokingly arguing with her. She'd been one of the few people, besides his friends, he'd actually enjoyed talking to.

Remus nodded in agreement to Sirius' statement, and laid his head back to stare at the ceiling. Another Order member lost. Who would be next?

Perhaps the real question was how it would happen. Voldemort was finding all sorts of new ways to off his enemies as the months went on. He was growing stronger, too strong, and the Order only had so many ways to fight him. But there had to be a way... If they didn't find a way to destroy him for good soon, they'd be overtaken, and the world would be doomed.

"Remus," Emmeline said, waving a hand in front of his face. He snapped his head up and looked at her. "I've been saying your name for fifteen minutes."

"Oh, sorry," he said hoarsely. "Where's Sirius?" he added, finding the armchair deserted.

"He went for a bike ride to clear his head," she answered.

He nodded. "Good idea. I wouldn't mind a long walk about now. Would you care to join me?"

"Sure," she said quietly. "You want to change out of your robes first?"

He smiled slightly, realizing she'd already changed, and nodded. "Be back in a second," he said before going to their bedroom. He reached into his sock drawer, moving aside underwear, and found a small black box. He stared at it for a moment, then looked down the hallway to where Emmeline waited for him. Looking back into the drawer, he picked up the box, opened it, and ran a finger gently across the item it held. After he changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, he reopened the drawer and took the box, placing it in his pocket again.

"Now's a good a time as any," he thought aloud with a shaky sigh before going back to Emmeline.

* * *

He had never dealt with death well, no matter who it was. There were very few people in the world that he believed deserved to die, and Arabella Figg was not one of them. When his brother's death had reached his ears fifteen years ago, though he hadn't spoken with Regulus in years, he'd taken it hard. Sirius had always believed his brother's life could have been spared if only he, Sirius, had tried in some way to help him. Sirius had never asked his brother why he'd joined Voldemort, but he had a strong feeling it had something to do with Bellatrix. Bellatrix had taken Regulus under her wing when he was still in Hogwarts, since Sirius had told his cousin to go suck an egg when she'd tried to persuade him to join Voldemort. Regulus had never had much common sense, and he'd always believed everything his mother ever told him about how Voldemort and his followers had the right idea.

Sirius hadn't always loathed his brother; when they were young, they'd been rather close. Only when Sirius had befriended James Potter and his best friend, Naomi Watts—both children of blood traitors—did Regulus start to turn on him.

One thing that Sirius regretted in regards to his brother was not trying to keep him from their family's beliefs. Regulus was a coward most of his life, and hid behind his mother. Sirius had met his brother in battle once before his death. The younger wizard hadn't shown any mercy to his big brother, so Sirius hadn't held back, either. Regulus left the battle bleeding from a stomach wound, and Sirius didn't pity him one bit. They were enemies, no longer brothers, and Sirius was sure if Regulus had the chance, the Death Eater would have killed him.

"That food's not poisoned, you know," Naomi said from across the table, watching him closely.

He ceased pushing his potatoes around the plate with his fork and tried to smile at her. "Sorry," he said. "Just thinking."

"Don't hurt yourself," she teased quietly. "What are you thinking about?"

He hesitated only for a second. "Regulus," he said. She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I was just thinking about how different we were, even though we grew up in the same place."

"You were different people," she said, reaching across the table for his hand. "You knew what was right and he listened to your parents. He was weak-minded, easily molded to fit what your mum wanted her sons to be."

Sirius nodded. "He could have had the same chance as me, though. Or I could have gone a totally different way. I could've listened to my parents, believed them, and I could be the one with the Dark Mark."

"But you're not," she said firmly. "Do you remember how surprised everyone was at school when they found out who you were and what house you were in?"

Sirius smirked. "I think the professors were more surprised than anybody," he said. "I think they all expected me to be like my parents. I know McGonagall did... Slughorn was disappointed when Regulus got into Slytherin and I was in Gryffindor. Did you know that?"

Naomi shook her head. "Slughorn's weird, though. How's Harry handling him, by the way? Bet old Sluggy's on cloud nine teaching the Boy-Who-Lived."

"I imagine he is," Sirius said. "But we told Harry early on to avoid him as much as possible, and as far as I know, Slughorn's leaving him be."

"That's good..."

Sirius nodded and was about to say something else when there was a knock at Naomi's door. Her eyes widened as she looked from the door to Sirius. "You've got to hide," she whispered urgently, vanishing his meal. "Go into the bedroom and close the door."

"Who is it?" he asked, standing.

"I don't know," she replied, standing and moving to the door. "Go, quick."

As much as he hated hiding, he did as he was told. After all, he didn't have a wand, and if it was a Death Eater at the door, they'd probably kill both him and Naomi. Naomi waited for him to close the door before greeting her visitor.

He listened hard as Naomi spoke quietly to her guest. By the sound of it, it was Narcissa in the front room. Sirius raised an eyebrow as he listened to the two witches talk, though he could barely make out their conversation. He thought he heard the words _"_Draco" and "mission." Naomi had told the Order a few months ago that Lucius' son had received the Dark Mark, but why would Voldemort give a sixteen-year-old a mission, and what kind of mission was it?

Narcissa's visit only lasted a few minutes, and once Sirius heard the front door close, he opened the bedroom door. "What was that all about?" he asked as Naomi turned to face him.

She sighed. "Narcissa's asked me to watch over Draco," she replied.

"Why?"

"I'm not entirely sure, actually," she said, sitting on the back of the sofa. "The way she talked when she first asked me, it sounded like she would have liked me to take him to Dumbledore to keep him away from Lucius."

"And have you?"

She shook her head. "I've barely seen him since the Hogwarts term started. He can't leave school grounds, obviously. And I'm supposed to be loyal to Voldemort. If I walked into Hogwarts without anything happening to me, don't you think someone would be a bit suspicious?"

"Have you thought any more about going into hiding yourself?" Sirius asked, standing in front of her.

Again, she sighed. "You ask me that every time we see each other, Sirius," she said warily.

"That's because I'm still waiting on your answer."

"I've given you my answer! I can't do it! No matter what you say, they will find me, and they will kill me!" she shouted.

"So you'd rather risk your life every goddamned day than stay somewhere safe? Yeah, that makes a lot of bloody sense, Naomi!" he yelled back.

"You just don't get it," she muttered.

"I get a lot more than you seem to think I do. Why won't you let us help you, Naomi? I want to be with you, but I can't keep going to sleep at night wondering if you're going to make it out of another meeting with Voldemort. Remus told you before that Dumbledore can keep you safe. I can keep you safe. Why won't you let me?" he asked, holding her hips and bringing her to him.

"Just give me some more time," she requested softly after a few minutes if thinking. "I told you that Voldemort plans to go after you and Remus before the New Year. Just let me find out what he's going to do. Once that passes, I promise I will go into hiding. All right?"

"You promise?"

She nodded.

"Okay," he said softly. "After the New Year, then."

She smiled and slipped her arms around his waist, tilting her face up to kiss him.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set as Remus and Emmeline came upon a stream in the forest. They'd been walking for nearly an hour while Remus gathered the nerve carry out his plan. The couple sat silently on a fallen tree trunk, watching the stream flow in front of them.

"Remus," Emmeline said quietly. "Are you all right? You've been awfully quiet today..."

Remus nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just... thinking..."

"About Arabella?"

Remus shook his head. "About you," he said quietly. She looked at him questioningly. "Emmeline, there's something I want to show you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small black box. He opened it and showed her the thin golden band with three simple diamonds. He took a deep breath and looked up into her wide eyes.

"This was my mother's engagement ring," he began quietly. "My father got it from his mother, his father from his mother, and so on for five generations. It's very special, this ring... I'm not entirely sure how, but it somehow knows if the woman it's given to is the man's true love." She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He smiled. "It's true. See, my mum gave this to me when I was sixteen, just after Naomi and I got together. When I was preparing to propose to her, I went to my sock drawer to get this—I thought she was my true love. But I couldn't find it. I tore the cottage apart looking for this ring, and it was just gone. I was devastated; I'd lost one of the only things my mother could give me. I had no choice but to empty my savings to buy Naomi a ring... Anyway, over the years, I'd kind of forgotten about it. I didn't know where it was—I tried summoning it and everything.

"A few weeks after we came back here this summer, I was down in the basement looking for something completely unrelated, and I found this. I remembered what my mother said about it being meant for my true love, and I knew immediately it was you, Emmeline." Remus got off the trunk and knelt in front of Emmeline, unsure of how long those tears had been running down her face. "I was saving this for the right time, but today made me realize that we never know when life's going to be ripped out from under us, and I need to do this in case something happens and you never know how much I want this."

He took her left hand in his right, his other hand holding the ring out to her. "Emmeline, I love you more than I ever believed I could love anybody. Every day I wake up wondering what I can do to make you happier, just to make you smile at me or laugh. There is nothing in the world I can think of that would make _me_ happier than being with you for the rest of my life and starting a family with you. Will you marry me?"


	14. Fourteen

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Fourteen_

Sirius entered the cottage just after ten o'clock that night and walked into the living room to find Remus and Emmeline in a rather compromising position. Being the good friend he was, instead of turning around and going to his bedroom to give them some privacy, he cleared his throat loudly. The couple broke apart immediately, but rather than giving Sirius the annoyed look he deserved, they smiled widely.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. Before he'd left, Remus had been completely miserable over Arabella's funeral. But now, not more than five hours later, he looked happier than he'd been in his entire life. "What's going on?" Sirius asked cautiously of the practically glowing couple.

Instead of a verbal answer, Emmeline held out her left hand, showing off a ring that Sirius was sure hadn't been there before he'd left. Slowly, Sirius began to smile as he looked from the ring to Remus' beaming face. "Well, it's about bloody time," he said to his best friend.

Remus laughed and rolled his eyes. "We've been waiting for you to get back so we could celebrate."

Sirius snorted. "From what I saw, you'd already gotten started on the celebrating. Congratulations, Moony," he said, pulling Remus up and embracing him. "And Emmeline," he added, bending down to hug and kiss the witch's cheek. "I believe drinks are in order." He walked into the kitchen and opened the cupboard, retrieving a bottle of brandy. As he was taking the glasses from the cupboard, Remus came in and leaned against the counter, still smiling. "I didn't know you were planning on proposing," Sirius said quietly, filling the glasses.

"Nor did I," Remus said, still smiling widely. "I found my mum's ring and decided it was finally time."

"Well, I couldn't be happier for you," Sirius said sincerely. "She's a great woman, Remus. You're very lucky."

"Thank you, Sirius," Remus said, accepting the glass Sirius offered him. "Listen, I wanted to ask you something..."

"Moony, you're already engaged, and I think Emmeline would be very upset if you took that ring from her now," Sirius said with a straight face.

"Sod off." Remus chuckled. "No, it's something else..." Sirius raised an eyebrow at the way Remus suddenly looked to be nervous. "I, um, want you to be my best man."

Sirius smiled and sat his drink back on the counter. "Remus, I would, of course, be absolutely honored to be your best man," he said with a small bow.

* * *

Christmas holidays were just around the corner and the cottage was filled with more cheer than ever before. The front yard was covered in a heavy layer of fresh snow and inside, the decorations were dazzling. Sirius and Remus had gone out and found the largest tree that would fit in the living room. With Christmas music playing in the background, and eggnog in their hands, the two best friends and Emmeline decorated it from tip to trunk.

Upon hearing the news of Remus and Emmeline's engagement, Molly Weasley had immediately enlisted her services to make plans for the wedding. The couple decided on a summer wedding—June to be exact, right after Harry got out of school—and they wanted to have it in the backyard of the cottage, where Remus' parents had been married. After an Order meeting, Remus had gone to Dumbledore and asked him to officiate the ceremony. Remus had thought his mentor's eyes looked rather misted over as he said he'd be proud to marry him and Emmeline.

If Sirius thought the couple had been sickening after they'd gotten back together after the incident with Naomi earlier that year, it was nothing compared to how they were now. Every time he walked into a room they happened to be in, they were either snogging or very close to snogging position. It was cute the first hundred times Sirius walked in on them; now he just told them to get a room, and went off to find something else to do.

"You do realize Harry will be home in a few days, right?" Sirius asked them one night. "He's not going to appreciate walking in on this five times a day..." But he got the feeling neither of them heard a word he was saying.

Luckily, Sirius was able to get away from them during the day. Minister Bones had agreed to let him come back to the Ministry. Though he couldn't go out on assignments, he could pass them out, and most importantly, Dawlish could no longer screw up his Auror squads. Rufus Scrimgeour had been less than tickled when Sirius had walked into Auror Headquarters and kicked Dawlish out of his office. The three of them had had a long conversation, just to make sure everyone knew who was in charge. The Head Auror still hadn't chosen a permanent second-in-command after Kingsley's death, but he assured both Dawlish and Scrimgeour it would not be either of them.

The night before Harry was to come home, Remus and Emmeline were up late discussing their wedding. The guest list was complete—Remus didn't have any family besides Sirius and Harry and Emmeline only had her two brothers. The rest of the list consisted of their friends from the Order. The wedding itself was to be simple—Molly would cook for the party; Tonks offered to do the decorating after promising not to go overboard.

"So I was thinking Molly and Ginny could be my bridesmaids," Emmeline said. "But if you're going to have Sirius, Harry, and Arthur, I'll need one more."

"What about Tonks?" Remus suggested. "Or maybe someone you work with?"

"There is not one person I work with that I want at my wedding," Emmeline said.

Remus laughed. "You say that with such venom." He grinned. He leaned back on the sofa and pulled Emmeline against him. "Do you really loathe your co-workers that much?"

"Yes," Emmeline said, turning to face him. "What about Hermione?"

"That would mean Sirius would be paired with Hermione. Don't you see something wrong with that?"

"You were the one who suggested his cousin and he is pureblooded; though if I suggested that, you'd be marrying a corpse, and I don't think you'd like that much," Emmeline said with a straight face. "I don't know. There aren't many women in the Order anymore."

Remus thought briefly of Naomi, but didn't dare suggest her. "How do you not have any friends outside of the Order?"

"You don't have any friends outside the Order, either," she pointed out.

"True, but I'm not the one having trouble with my line-up."

Emmeline rolled her eyes. "I'd always planned on Hestia being my maid of honor when I got married."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, James and Peter were supposed to be in my line-up."

Emmeline smiled sadly and laid her head on his shoulder. "Should we finish this discussion another day, before we get depressed?"

Remus laughed a little. "Probably a good idea," he said, kissing the top of her head. "How about we go get some sleep?"

Before Emmeline could reply, all the lights in the cottage went out, save the fire in the fireplace. Remus stiffened; the last time this had happened, Lucius Malfoy had been in the cottage.

"Remus? Emmeline? You two okay?" Sirius called from the hall.

"Yes, we're fine," Remus called back, reaching for his wand. "_Lumos_," he muttered, igniting the tip of his wand. A second later, Emmeline's wand was lit as well.

"What the hell happened?" Sirius asked, walking into the room.

"I don't know," Remus said calmly. "But we should stick together."

"Maybe it's just a power outage," Emmeline suggested quietly.

"Tell me you don't really believe that," Sirius said. "This place runs on magic, not public power..."

"Shut up, Sirius," Remus said. He was trying to think of a plan of action when the doorbell rang. The three friends looked at one another, trying to keep the fear from showing in their faces.

"Who's that?" Emmeline whispered.

Remus shook his head. "No idea," he said quietly. "Come on." They made their way to the front door while Sirius went to the window and peeked out.

"It's Naomi," he said in disbelief to the other two.

"REMUS! SIRIUS! Open the door!" she yelled urgently. Remus pulled open the door, but didn't have a chance to ask Naomi why she was there before she pushed her way in and shut the door behind her. "He's here," she panted, looking at them wide-eyed.

"What?" Remus asked incredulously. "Who are you—"

"Voldemort!" she cried. "He's on his way here! There are fifty Death Eaters in the forest right now, waiting for his order."

"Oh dear god," Emmeline breathed.

"Well, we can Apparated out," Sirius began, looking terrified.

Naomi shook her head. "Anti-Disapparation jinx. Portkeys won't work either, Floo's been cut off..."

"What do you mean Floo's been cut off?" Emmeline demanded sharply.

"There's someone in your department working for him. I don't know who, but they've disabled all Floo connection to the cottage," Naomi said in a rush.

"So what the hell do you suggest we do?" Remus asked as calmly as possible.

"I have an idea, but you have to trust me," she said, looking directly at Remus. "Forget everything that's ever happened between us, just for tonight. Tomorrow you can go back to hating me all you want..."

"This is insane," Sirius muttered. "There's no way out?"

Again, Naomi shook her head. "The Death Eaters are surrounding the place to make sure you three don't try and run."

"Why are we just now finding out about this? You didn't know before?" Emmeline asked.

"I couldn't get away, nobody could, and I had no way to send any messages. I tried, I swear to god I tried... They think I'm doing perimeter checks, but if we don't hurry, I'm going to get busted, and you three are going to die. Do you trust me?" she asked Remus desperately.

Remus looked out the window then at Sirius and Emmeline, and finally back to Naomi. She could be lying... But there was always a chance she was telling the truth. And if she was telling the truth, they only had moments before Voldemort busted down their door. Remus couldn't take the chance.

"I trust you," he told Naomi quietly. "What's your plan?"

"Okay," she said, obviously relieved. "I need you three to stand together. This won't work otherwise." They did as told, Remus holding Emmeline close to him, Sirius right beside them. Naomi raised her wand, the tip pointing at them, and began muttering a spell too rapidly for Remus to make out the words. A moment later, a white ball of light emitted from the wand's tip and dangled between Naomi and the other three momentarily. Remus watched as the ball circled Emmeline, Sirius, and himself a few times before going back to Naomi, seemingly disappearing into her chest. Breathing heavily, Naomi looked behind her out the windows. "Stay here," she said quietly. "He won't see you."

"What about you?" Sirius asked.

"I'll be fine. But I've got to go. You'll be okay, I promise," she said before running back out the front door.

"What the _hell_ just happened?" Emmeline asked quietly, trembling a bit against Remus.

"She performed the Fidelius Charm," Remus said, staring at the front door as it closed behind Naomi. "She's our Secret-Keeper..."

"What do we do now?" Sirius asked, looking at Remus.

"I don't know," the other wizard answered honestly. "Wait, I guess."

They didn't have to wait long before a sea of black cloaks could be seen marching out of the forest led by a pair of glowing, scarlet eyes.

"_Nox_," Remus and Emmeline muttered automatically, the light from their wands extinguishing. The army of Death Eaters stopped, but the red eyes continued to draw nearer, two or three of the cloaks following him. Remus pulled Emmeline and Sirius into the living room just before the front door was blown of its hinges.

Lord Voldemort crossed the threshold of the cottage and looked directly at the three of them before moving his eyes across the hallway. "Find them," he commanded his Death Eaters softly.

Remus breathed a sigh of relief. The charm had been successful; Voldemort couldn't see them.

"Yes, my Lord," three voices murmured before raising their wands and spreading out through the cottage. Emmeline gasped softly and pressed herself into Remus, pulling Sirius closer to them as Voldemort entered the living room and examined the Christmas tree in disgust. He then went to the coffee table and picked up the guest list Remus and Emmeline had been working on. "How sweet," he muttered with an evil grin.

"My Lord," one of the Death Eaters—judging by the growl of curse words Sirius emitted, it was Lucius Malfoy—said, coming into the living room. "They're not here."

"What do you mean they're not here?" Voldemort asked in a deathly quiet voice that made all three of them shiver a bit. "They must be here."

"They're not, my Lord," Malfoy said. "We've searched everywhere."

"Did you check the basement?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"How is it that they were here no more than ten minutes ago, but now they are not? There is no way for them to escape unless one of you failed in your duties."

"I assure you, my Lord," Naomi said, coming to join Malfoy. "Every means of escape has been disabled. They should be here, but they're not..."

"Search the forest," Voldemort said. "It is possible that they got past one of you incompetent fools. I want Lupin and Black alive."

"What of the woman?" Malfoy asked.

"I've no use for her," Voldemort said. "As for this miserable shack, burn it to the ground."

"We should get out of here," Sirius said to Remus and Emmeline. "Now."

"I think you're right," Remus said quietly. The three carefully moved past Voldemort and out the front door just behind Naomi. They moved past her and Remus thought he heard her whisper "Run!" under her breath. Even if he was imagining it, it seemed like a damn good idea to him. Without having to communicate to the other two, they all three began to run as fast as they could through a gap in the army of Death Eaters into the dark forest.

Behind them, Remus could see a blaze of light that he was certain was his childhood home going up in flames. As strong as the urge was to turn back, Remus kept going. They needed to get somewhere safe—he didn't know how long the Fidelius Charm would last since it'd been cast in such a rush, but he didn't want any of them around when it wore off. They ran without stopping for what seemed like hours until they reached the main road.

"Should—we try—to Apparate?" Sirius panted, bent over double and looking over his shoulder to see if they were being followed.

Remus nodded breathlessly. "It's worth a shot..."

"Hogwarts?" Emmeline asked, rubbing a stitch in her side.

"Why? No one will be able to see us," Sirius said. "Let's go to Headquarters. Naomi will figure we've gone there, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Remus said. "Yeah, that's a good idea." Sirius grabbed Remus' elbow and the werewolf nodded at Emmeline, who nodded back. In the blink of an eye, the forests and road of Kent disappeared in favor of the rundown neighborhood of Grimmauld Place, London.

The three friends sighed in relief that none of them had been splinched and walked up the front path as Number Twelve appeared before their eyes. Remus tapped his wand sharply on the doorknob and the door clicked as it unlocked. He opened the door and entered, Sirius and Emmeline just behind him. Wordlessly, they made their way to the basement kitchen. Remus and Emmeline sat at the table while Sirius went to the pantry to find something for them to drink. They silently sat together, each wondering what to do next, and fell asleep at the table an hour later.

* * *

Early the next morning, the fireplace in the kitchen of Number Twelve ignited in green flames and Dumbledore stepped through gracefully, wiping soot off his robes as he took in the scene before him. Sirius' face was on top of his folded arms, and he was snoring loudly. Across from him, Emmeline's head was resting atop a balled up pair of robes in Remus' lap, and she was stretched out over two chairs. Remus had one arm over her waist while his other hung limply at his side, and he was slumped in his own chair, his chin resting on his chest.

Though he didn't want to disturb their much-needed rest (and almost wished he had a camera), Dumbledore cleared his throat just loudly enough to wake Remus. The werewolf started, blinking sleep out of his eyes as he looked around and spotted the Headmaster smiling at him. "Good morning, Remus," Dumbledore said softly.

"Albus," Remus said tiredly, stifling a yawn. "What time is it?"

"Just past seven in the morning," Dumbledore replied. "About time for breakfast, I believe."

Remus nodded and looked down in his lap, rubbing Emmeline's shoulder softly. "Emmeline," he said. "Time to wake up, love. Dumbledore's here..."

Slowly the witch woke and, with Remus' help, sat up, wiping at her eyes. "Hello, sir," she yawned.

Dumbledore inclined his head.

"Padfoot," Remus said, throwing a cork at his best friend. The other wizard snorted loudly and jerked his head up, looking around wildly.

"Dumbledore, you're here," he muttered unnecessarily.

Dumbledore's lips twitched. "Your keen observation never ceases to amaze me, Sirius," he said, winking at Remus and Emmeline before sitting at the table. "I understand the three of you had quite the evening last night."

"Understatement of the year, that," Emmeline said, running a hand through her hair. "Wait, you can see us?"

"Indeed I can."

"But the charm..." Sirius said.

"Has been broken," Dumbledore said quietly. "I received a message from Naomi late last night informing me of what happened. I found it quite hard to believe that the charms and wards we placed around your home could have been broken on such short notice, but when I checked, it seemed the protections have been taken apart, layer by layer, over the last three days without alerting us. Naomi says this is Bellatrix Lestrange's doing."

"How, though? I thought these were foolproof?" Sirius said, imagining the best ways to murder his cousin.

"I thought so as well, Sirius, but most unfortunately, we were wrong. I am just thankful Naomi was able to get to you when she did, and that you are all safe."

"Speaking of Naomi," Remus said quietly. "Where is she?"

"I do not know." Dumbledore sighed. "I can only hope she too remains safe."

"She saved our lives," Emmeline whispered disbelievingly. "If she hadn't snuck to the cottage..." she trailed off, not needing to finish her sentence for the wizards to understand.

"Where's Harry, sir?" Sirius asked hoarsely.

"He is eating breakfast in the Great Hall. I have not yet told him of last night's events—I thought you and Remus would prefer to fill him in. If you like, I can have his trunk packed, and send him straight here instead of sending him home by train," Dumbledore offered. "It may be best that way—I do not doubt the Death Eaters are still searching for you, and the first place they will check is King's Cross Station."

"That will be great, Albus, thank you," Remus said. "You haven't been to my cottage by any chance, have you, sir?"

"I have," the Headmaster said. "Just before I came here."

"And?"

Dumbledore sighed heavily. "I am terribly sorry, Remus, but your home was destroyed in the fire. I did what I could, but it seems Lord Voldemort was one step ahead of us once again."

Remus dropped his head to the table and closed his eyes tightly. The cottage was the only home he'd ever known, besides Hogwarts, and if Dumbledore couldn't fix it, there was no hope that Remus would ever see it again. Emmeline stood from the table and offered breakfast to the wizards. Dumbledore declined, saying he needed to return to Hogwarts to catch Harry before the students left for the train. Remus also declined, stating he didn't have much of an appetite, and left the kitchen to go lie down in one of the upstairs rooms.

"Guess that leaves you and me, eh?" Emmeline said to Sirius.

The wizard nodded. "Guess so," he muttered, staring at the tabletop.

Emmeline made sure Remus had indeed gone upstairs before sitting next to Sirius. "I'm sure Naomi's fine," she said quietly.

He nodded again. "Yeah, I know," he said, lifting his head with a forced smile. "So how about that breakfast?"

Emmeline watched him for a moment before she rolled her eyes at his covering his worry for his girlfriend and stood, going to the pantry to gather things for breakfast.

* * *

Later in the afternoon, after Harry arrived at Number Twelve and was filled in what was going on, Sirius and Remus decided to go see what was left of the cottage. When they Apparated to the snow-filled front yard, they regretted it—there was nothing but debris where the cottage had once stood. The furniture was nowhere to be seen, and they turned over black pieces of the walls, trying to find anything that might have made it through the fire.

"Whatever spell he used did a damn good job," Sirius said, shaking his head sadly.

"It wasn't _Incendio_ either," Remus said, examining a few scorch marks on the one wall that still partly stood around the fireplace. "I don't know what he used, but it looks like he just stood here and moved his wand in a circle and caught the whole place on fire." He demonstrated the action slowly before going back to staring miserably at what remained of his home.

"I'm surprised the floor's still here. Did he not think the basement was good enough to catch fire to?"

"I don't know, but I wouldn't trust the floors enough to go down there until we brace it so that it doesn't collapse on us."

Sirius nodded and went to what was once Harry's bedroom. "Hey, Remus, where's Harry's pensieve?"

"I think he took it to school with him," Remus answered, going into Sirius' bedroom.

"Good."

Sirius was surprised at how well Remus was taking the destruction of the cottage. Not only had it been his childhood home, but it had been in his family for four generations. There was a lot of history in the cottage for Remus, good and bad, and it broke Sirius' heart to see it like this.

"Padfoot, I think this belongs to you," Remus said, approaching Sirius.

The other wizard turned to see what his best friend held out and felt a jolt of shock to realize it was his wand. "How the hell did that make it through?" Sirius asked, taking the stick from Remus and examining it. "There's not a mark on it."

"Ollivander always did make the best," Remus said with a smile. "I say we get back. There's nothing more here. I found a couple photos and things that are a bit burnt but otherwise okay. All our clothes and personal items are gone, though."

"Well, we can replace all that," Sirius said bracingly. "We're all right, and that's what matters."

Remus nodded and looked around sadly. "If it wasn't for Naomi..." he said quietly.

"Yeah," Sirius said just as quietly. He put his wand into his back pocket and took hold of Remus' elbow as they Apparated back to Number Twelve. Once again, they were stuck in the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black, and Sirius had never felt more depressed about his own childhood home as he thought that they now had no other options.


	15. Fifteen

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Fifteen_

As Christmas approached, Number Twelve Grimmauld Place became subject to a celebratory makeover, supervised by Emmeline and Sirius. They were trying to put some cheer into their holiday, but unfortunately, they seemed to be failing miserably. Everyone in the household moped about, unable to get into the Christmas spirit. Even when the Weasleys and Hermione came over and Molly prepared a large meal for them, the mood at headquarters did not improve. Remus spent most of his time locked away in the Black library, doubling the efforts to find the counter-curse to what had taken away Sirius' magic, and not even Emmeline could break him out of the miserable mood he'd fallen into.

On Christmas Eve, she took him a tray of lunch, though he insisted he wasn't hungry. "Remus, you've barely eaten a thing in two days," she said, closing the book he was reading. He glared at her, and she looked back with raised eyebrows, challenging him to argue with her. "Look, I understand you're upset about the cottage, but you've got to eat something."

"I'm not hungry," he muttered.

"Bullshit," she said, sitting beside him on the sofa. "Remus, we can always rebuild..."

He shook his head, not looking at her. "You don't understand, Emmeline. The cottage has been in my family since my great-grandfather built it with his bare hands. My parents never had anything to give me, with the exception of a few other things." He reached over and took her left hand, running a finger over the gold band that encircled her finger. "All my father ever had was his bookshop, but he lost that just after my fifth year because we didn't have the money to keep it going. My mum had to sell her piano just to help buy my school supplies. That cottage was everything to them. They had dreams of me raising my children there, and passing it down. Now it's gone..." he said miserably.

"I'm sure your parents would be happy that you're alive. That'd be more important than to them than a house, don't you think?" she asked quietly.

He shrugged. "I suppose," he replied, sighing.

"Is there anything I can do to cheer you up?" she asked quietly, scooting closer to him.

"Just sit with me?" he requested softly.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him as he rested his head on her chest, curling his arms around her waist and pulling her close.

* * *

Down in the basement kitchen, Sirius and Harry sat in near silence as Harry worked on an assignment for his Defense lessons. He was just as upset as Remus and Sirius over the state of the cottage—he'd grown up there, and he loved it just as much as they did. But as Emmeline pointed out to Remus, Harry was thankful his family had all made it out alive. The night could have gone so differently, and Harry didn't know what he would have done if he'd lost them. His mistrust for Naomi had faded somewhat, and he knew the next time he saw her, he'd have to thank her. She'd risked her life to save his family—if a Death Eater or Voldemort had caught her, she would have surely died alongside the others.

Harry looked up from his book and watched Sirius twirl his wand between his fingers, a faraway look in his grey eyes. "Are you okay?" Harry asked his godfather.

Sirius glanced at Harry out of the corner of his eye and attempted to smile. "Yeah, kid, I'm fine. Just thinking."

Harry nodded, but continued to watch Sirius. Something was bothering the older wizard besides the cottage. Harry just didn't know what. "It doesn't seem like Christmas this year, does it?"

"No, it doesn't," Sirius agreed quietly, turning to look at Harry. "You should have seen the decorations we had up at the cottage. This is nothing compared to that," he said, waving a hand at the baubles and bulbs hanging around the kitchen.

"Where are we going to live? We're not going to stay here, are we?" Harry asked after a moment.

Sirius shrugged. "For now, we will," he said. "We have to. Voldemort's probably still searching the country for us, and we're safest here. Emmeline's still got her place in London, so she and Remus will probably move in there after the wedding."

"Oh," Harry said. "What about us?"

"Well, there's always my flat. It's big enough for us to stretch out in," Sirius replied. "Or we could fix this place up a bit, figure out how to get rid of my mother's portrait..."

Harry nodded and looked down at the table. He hadn't really thought about what would happen after Remus and Emmeline were married. He was thrilled for them, of course. It was just that the thought of his family being split up hadn't crossed his mind since Emmeline had first come to live with them.

Sirius seemed to read his mind. "It's not like we'll never see Remus again, you know," he said softly.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I know. But aren't you the least bit upset that we won't be living together anymore?"

"Of course, but this can't last forever..."

"Why, though?" Harry asked. "I've never been happier than I am living with you and Remus, and now we're being split up."

Sirius smiled sadly. "It's got to happen, Harry. I mean, you're graduating Hogwarts in a year and a half, and I'm sure you're going to want to get your own place at some point, right?" Harry shrugged. "Look, us living in different places isn't going to change the fact that we're family—nothing can change that. If anyone in this world deserves to get out and start his life, it's Remus. But that doesn't mean he's going to forget about you or me, and he's not going to stop loving you. I don't want you to ever think that, because it'll never happen. All right?"

Harry nodded again. "I know. I just don't like change."

Sirius chuckled. "Me neither, kid. But this could turn out to be a great thing for you and me. I'm just not really sure how at the moment." Harry laughed. "But think of it this way: You're going to leave Hogwarts and join the Ministry, right? Then, who knows, you might wind up marrying Ginny. And I'm sure she's not going to want to live with your godfather and uncle, right?"

Harry smiled. "Yeah, I guess," he said. "You think I'll marry Ginny?"

"It doesn't matter what I think, Harry. Just don't go eloping. We wouldn't want to give old Remus a heart attack."

Harry grinned. "Now all we've got to do is get you married."

Sirius nearly choked on his butterbeer. "I don't know about that..."

"Why aren't you dating anyone?" Harry asked, ignoring Sirius' reaction. "I thought you were supposed to be an expert with women or something."

"No one says I'm not," Sirius said, offended that someone would question his abilities with the fairer sex. He sighed. "Look, if I tell you something, do you swear not to tell Remus?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. Sirius told Remus everything—what could his godfather be keeping from his best friend. "Yeah, sure," he said, leaning forward eagerly.

Sirius looked over his shoulder, making sure they were indeed alone. "Okay, for the last few months, I've sort of been seeing Naomi..."

Harry's jaw dropped open. "Naomi? As in Remus' _ex,_ Naomi?" Sirius nodded. "And you haven't told Remus?" Sirius shook his head. "I wonder if the Ministry would let me live alone in your flat until I'm seventeen," he said thoughtfully. "Because when Remus finds out, you're a dead man. It was nice knowing you, Sirius."

"Very funny," Sirius said dryly. "I know I should tell him. I just don't know how... I can't exactly walk up to him and say 'Hey, Moony, I'm dating the first woman you ever loved, and by the way, we need eggs'."

"Well, no," Harry agreed. "But you need to tell him. How have you kept it from him this long?"

"Talent?" Sirius shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I've been going to her place a lot, and it's not like we can go out—if she gets caught with me, Voldemort won't exactly be a happy camper, will he?"

"So you like her a lot, then?"

Sirius nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I do," he said.

"Is she worth losing Remus?"

"Nothing's worth that."

"Then you need to tell him before he finds out."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "When did you get so smart about stuff like this?"

Harry shrugged. "It's a natural born gift."

* * *

Later that evening, the Weasleys and Hermione came over again for dinner, since no one thought it safe for Sirius, Remus, Emmeline, and Harry to travel to the Burrow. As the night wore on, some of the Christmas cheer seemed to rub off on Remus and after a few glasses of eggnog, he was mostly back to his old self. Fred and George provided entertainment, particularly when they gave Ron a joke wizard's cracker. Instead of a prize, Ron was doused in powder that turned him blue for twenty-four hours, and it only got darker if someone tried to get rid of it—Ron spent a good hour in the shower trying to wash the stuff off, and it'd only resulted in the stuff becoming a navy blue color. Finally, Molly made the twins perform the counter-spell to the powder, and Ron was back to normal.

The night only got better after dessert. Sirius was sitting at the table, twirling his wand absentmindedly again as he and Bill discussed the younger wizard's time in Egypt as a curse breaker. Remus was walking past the table, helping with dishes when he yelped as something hit him in the behind, causing him to drop the dishes he was carrying to the sink. He turned around to see who'd hit him with a stinging hex, but the only person with their wand out was Sirius.

"Having a problem with balance, Moony?" Sirius grinned, obviously unaware of what had just happened. "Maybe you ought to lay off the eggnog, mate."

Remus stared at him dumbfounded. "Did you just...? No... No possible way..."

"What?" Sirius asked with a raised eyebrow as though worrying for his best friend's sanity.

Remus pointed at the broken dishes on the floor. "Fix those..." he said faintly.

"What the hell are you on about?"

"Sirius, you just hit me with a stinging hex. I don't know how, but you did," Remus said.

"That's impossible," Emmeline said. "Maybe you _have_ had too much eggnog, dear." She pointed her own wand at the broken dishes, preparing to repair them, but Remus pushed her arm away.

"Try it," he said to Sirius. By now, the rest of the kitchen was aware something was going on, and watched the exchange wordlessly.

"You've gone mental, you know that?" Sirius muttered. "I mean, you are severely touched in the head, Remus..." Sighing, he turned to the dishes, glancing at his best friend who stared hard at them. He pointed his wand at the broken dishes. Everyone held their breath as Sirius firmly said, "_Reparo_!"

Cheers erupted as the dishes repaired themselves and stacked neatly on top of one another. Sirius stared at the dishes with his jaw wide open. "I did it," he said weakly as Molly hugged him around the neck. "I fixed them..."

"Here, Sirius," Ron said, pulling Sirius' goblet of eggnog to the other end of the table. "Summon it."

"_Accio _goblet." The goblet zoomed across the table into Sirius' awaiting hand, not one drop sloshing out as the goblet hit his flesh. "I've got my powers back," he whispered in disbelief into his drink. "It's over..."

Arthur pulled out a bottle of wine in celebration while the kids continued to challenge Sirius' powers.

"How's this possible?" Remus asked Emmeline quietly, grinning widely as Sirius shot Harry with a stream of cold water, then used a heating charm to dry him off.

"I don't know," she said. "The Healers did say his powers could come back on their own. Looks like Christmas just got better, eh?"

He tore his eyes away from Sirius' beaming face to look at Emmeline before kissing her. Seconds later, the couple was being soaked with water from Sirius' wand. As they broke apart, they heard the familiar barking laugh from the wizard. "Sirius, I am very happy for you, but if you do that again, I will have to hurt you." Remus grinned.

* * *

The celebration lasted late into the night, and the Weasleys and Hermione decided to stay at Number Twelve, since Ginny had fallen asleep in her chair with Crookshanks in her lap. Just before they were about to turn in, the kitchen fireplace lit up and Dumbledore stepped out. Sirius proceeded to demonstrate the return of his powers by turning into Padfoot for the eighth time that night, but Dumbledore didn't seem nearly as happy as the rest of Number Twelve was.

His eyes were grave as he told them that Hagrid had come back from the Three Broomsticks to find a witch at the school's gates. He said she'd been beaten and tortured, and if Hagrid hadn't found her when he had, she would have died on the freezing Hogwarts grounds.

"You lot, upstairs," Molly said sharply to the kids. Though Dumbledore's news had woken them up, Molly gave them no room to argue.

"Who was it, Albus?" Remus asked, afraid he already knew the answer.

"Naomi," the Headmaster said quietly. "She is currently in the Hogwarts hospital wing with Hagrid as her guard, but I do not think it safe for her to remain there. I was rather hoping you would allow her to stay here," he added to Sirius and Remus.

Emmeline seemed to be the only one to notice how pale Sirius had gotten at the news. She reached over and squeezed his shoulder, though she didn't think he could feel it.

"Is she going to be all right?" Arthur asked.

"I hope so," Dumbledore said. "Poppy has done all she can, but Naomi has sustained some rather serious injuries. According to Severus, Lord Voldemort has realized what Naomi has been doing for the past year."

"How?" Remus asked hoarsely.

"After the attack on your home a few nights ago, Voldemort knew you had been warned. I believe he used his skills as a Legilimens to discover who has been betraying him. Somehow, Naomi was able to use what was left of her strength after Voldemort believed her dead, or dying at the very least, to Apparate to the Hogwarts gates."

Sirius buried his head in his hands. "She can stay here," he said, his voice muffled. Remus and Emmeline nodded in agreement.

Dumbledore inclined his head. "Thank you. I will bring her back momentarily," he said quietly, going back to Hogwarts. Once he was gone, Molly and Emmeline went upstairs to prepare one of the extra bedrooms for Naomi.

Remus, though he hadn't trusted Naomi up until a few days ago, never wanted to see her hurt. His feelings for her were less than friendly at the best of times, but she'd done a lot for the Order over the last year, and risked her life doing so. She had to have known warning them of Voldemort's attack could mean her life, but she'd done it anyway.

He looked behind him to where Sirius still had his head buried in his hands. He seemed to be taking Naomi's condition rather roughly. Remus knew they'd talked many times when Sirius thought he wasn't watching. They'd once been very good friends, Sirius and Naomi, and it seemed their friendship had rekindled since Naomi's return to the Order. Remus hadn't brought it up to Sirius in the hopes that his best friend would tell him on his own. It hadn't happened yet, and it hurt Remus to think the man he thought of as a brother didn't trust him enough to fill him in on what was going on in his life.

Dumbledore returned fifteen minutes later, and the look on Sirius' face as he laid eyes on Naomi was nothing short of horrified. Remus didn't blame him; she didn't even remotely look like herself. Her face was swollen and purple, and it was clear she had a broken nose and broken cheekbones. Both of her arms were bandaged from the shoulders down, causing Remus to suspect those had been broken as well as her hands and fingers. Professor McGonagall stepped out of the fire just behind Dumbledore carrying an armful of potion bottles given to her presumably by Madam Pomfrey for Naomi's care. Charlie took the load from her as everyone stood to follow Dumbledore up the stairs to where Naomi's room would be.

Sirius remained standing against the walls, his jaw clenched and his hands buried in his pockets, as Molly made sure Naomi was as comfortable as possible in the bed. When Emmeline asked if Naomi would eventually be okay, Dumbledore replied in the affirmative. He said Naomi had sustained a bad concussion, but Madam Pomfrey believed she'd wake within a week or so, and after that, as long as her bones mended correctly, she'd be fine.

Dumbledore and McGonagall quietly excused themselves an hour later, explaining that they had to return to Hogwarts. The headmaster thanked Sirius and Remus for their hospitality. Sirius probably hadn't heard a word he said.

Near one o'clock in the morning, Molly shooed everybody out of the room, saying she'd sit with the patient while they got their rest. Sirius, to Remus' surprise, went without an argument or a word to anyone, down the hall to his bedroom.

"Interesting night, huh?" Emmeline said flatly, climbing into bed beside Remus twenty minutes later.

Remus nodded. "Sirius gets his powers back and Naomi is found nearly dead. I wonder how she was able to Apparate without being seen..."

"Didn't she once say the only Apparition chamber was in Voldemort's quarters?"

"Yeah... You'd think wherever he was keeping her, he would have kept her guarded, whether he thought she was dying or not."

"Maybe she had help?"

"From who, though? Unless Snape was there, no one else would help her."

"Guess we'll have to wait and hear it from her," Emmeline said.

Remus sighed and laid his head back on his pillow, pulling Emmeline against him. She fell asleep long before he did.

* * *

Sirius couldn't sleep. He kept tossing and turning, unable to get the vision of Naomi's beaten face out of his mind. Finally, he gave up and got up from his bed. He crept down the hall, avoiding the creaking floorboards as he went to Naomi's room. Molly was still sitting with her and she snapped her head to the door when Sirius opened it.

"How is she?" he asked quietly, closing the door and approaching the bed.

"Same as before," Molly replied. "Her breathing seems to be evening out, which is a very good sign."

Sirius nodded. "Listen, Molly, why don't you go get some sleep? I'll sit with her..."

Molly stood, giving him a soft, knowing smile he hadn't seen in many years, and left the room. Sirius sat in Molly's chair and gently took hold of Naomi's hand. "Why didn't you take my advice before?" he asked softly, rubbing his thumb softly across her bruised knuckles. "Why did you have to get into this mess to begin with?" He sighed, wondering if he should say what was really on his mind. "I know we've had an odd relationship these past months, and I know it's been rough on you, but I'm glad you put up with me." He smiled a little as he felt her squeeze his hand a bit. He may have been imagining it, but it was a comforting thought.

"I'm sorry we haven't had a normal relationship, Naomi. I'm sorry I haven't been able to take you out to dinner and on walks through the city and all the other things we should be able to do together. We've both sacrificed a lot for this—you've put your life on the line and I could lose the best friend I've ever had in my life. But you've made me happy, and I don't think I've told you that enough. And I really hope you've been happy with me—I've really been trying..."

He sighed again. "Look, I don't know if you feel the same, but I think I'm in love with you, Naomi—I should have told you that long ago... I told you I'd keep you safe and even though I failed this time, I'm going to keep that promise to you. Voldemort will pay for what he's done to you and Remus and Harry. He's going to regret everything he's done to my family and friends.

"I should let you rest. I'll be back in the morning." He stood and leaned over to kiss her lips. When he turned to the door, he froze, finding Remus standing in the threshold. "Moony..." he said quietly. Remus stared stonily back. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough," Remus said evenly. "Can I talk to you? In the library?"

Sirius winced. Remus' tone suggested he wasn't asking to talk to Sirius; it was an order. He squeezed Naomi's hand gently before releasing it and following Remus down the hall as if he was preparing for certain death. _Highly possible, that_, Sirius thought, suddenly thankful his magic had come back.

The two friends silently entered the library and Remus closed the door, waving his wand to light a few lanterns. Sirius sat on the arm of the sofa, trying not to fidget under Remus' stare as he waited for the other to explode.

"How long?" Remus asked quietly.

"Since September," Sirius replied, assuming correctly that Remus was asking how long he and Naomi had been seeing each other.

Remus nodded stiffly. "Why her?" he asked, his voice tight. "Out of all the women in the world, you had to pick her. You could have had anyone you wanted, Sirius, but you had to pick the one who just happens to be my ex-fiancée. _Why?_"

Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know," he said honestly. "I didn't mean for this to happen, Remus."

"All right, I'll give you that. But why didn't you at least give me the courtesy of telling me? We're supposed to be best friends, inseparable brothers... the last of the Marauders..."

"We are—"

"They why the hell didn't you tell me?" Remus yelled. Sirius flinched as if he'd been hit. Remus must have put up silencing charms around the library at some point so as not to wake the rest of the house. "I thought we'd gotten past this whole keeping secrets stage years ago, Sirius, and I walk in to find you kissing Naomi. And _then_ I find out you've been seeing her behind my back for months."

"Remus, I'm sorry," Sirius said earnestly. "I wanted to tell you."

"Why didn't you, then?" Remus asked, his voice one of forced calm. "Do you not trust me, is that it?"

"No!" Sirius said loudly. "Of course I trust you! I was just... scared of your reaction, I guess."

Remus rubbed his eyes. "You know, it's not even the fact that you're seeing her that upsets me. It's the fact that you didn't tell me that hurts worse than anything; that you _lied_ to me. I thought we could tell each other anything, after everything we've been through in our friendship. You're the brother I never had, Sirius, the one I always wanted. I trusted you, but then you go lying to me and sneaking behind my back. I knew you and Naomi had been talking a lot, but I never said anything. I'd hoped you'd have the decency to tell me. I'm assuming you've been going to her place when you've told me you were going for a bike ride?"

Sirius nodded, unable to look his friend in the face.

"I don't know what else to say to you, Sirius. I really don't. I just want you to know how badly you've hurt me by keeping this from me. I'm not your father and you're a grown man, so it's not as if I can keep you from seeing her. I just hope for your sake that you know what you're doing and that she doesn't hurt you like she did me. I'm going back to bed."

Without another word, Remus left the library and Sirius feeling worse than he had in many years.


	16. Sixteen

**_Altercations_**

By Neurotica

_Sixteen_

_ The sound of voices pulled him out of his sleep that night—voices that were trying to be quiet, but were failing miserably. Remus tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt like they weighed a ton. Every inch of his body ached, and it took him a while to figure out why: Tonight had been the full moon. Or was it last night? He wasn't in wolf form anymore, so the moon had to have waned. But then why was it still dark? Usually, sunlight streaming through cracks in the boarded windows of the Shrieking Shack woke him; he obviously wasn't in the shack anymore. Then he was in the hospital wing. That explained it. Had he slept the whole day? He hoped not; he had an exam in Defense that day, for which he'd been studying for the past week and a half._

Great,_ he thought with an inward groan._ More work to make up. And who the hell is making all that noise?

_Remus opened his eyes just enough to see two tall figures standing at the foot of his bed. He raised an eyebrow when he recognized the two forms as Sirius and James. The two of them seemed to be arguing about something. James was pointing at Remus, whispering something furiously at Sirius._

"_Haven't you caused enough damage?" was the first thing that got through to Remus' brain. "I mean, honestly, Padfoot, how thick can you get?" _

"_Get off it, Prongs!" Sirius whispered just as furiously. "As if you wouldn't have done it if you'd had the chance."_

"_What did you do now?" Remus said hoarsely, wincing as he pushed himself into a sitting position. His friends snapped their heads to his bed. James looked relieved, while Sirius looked... nervous?_

_James quickly pushed past Sirius and went to stand beside Remus' bed. "Moony, you're awake," he said unnecessarily. "We thought for sure you were..." he trailed off. "Well, you're all right, that's all that matters."_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_You've been unconscious for four days, mate..."_

"_What?" Remus groaned. "Four days? What happened?"_

"_Madam Pomfrey found you in the tunnel under the Whomping Willow after moonset. You were bleeding from everywhere. She said she's never seen you so torn up," James explained quietly. "If you didn't wake up today, she was going to have you transferred to St. Mungo's."_

_Remus frowned. "What happened that night? I didn't hurt any of you when we went into the forest, did I?" he asked, searching his friends for signs of damage._

"_Actually," James said, looking over to Sirius angrily. "We didn't make it to the forest. Padfoot, Wormtail, and I didn't even make it to the shack."_

"_I thought you guys were coming right behind me," Remus said. He thought back to the night of the full moon. He'd left James and Peter in the common room—Sirius had been serving a detention with McGonagall for getting into a duel with Snape in the corridor outside the Great Hall just after lunch. Snape claimed Sirius had started it, even though James, who'd seen the whole thing, told McGonagall it was the Slytherin's fault—Snape had been goading Sirius on, making cracks about Remus and his new girlfriend, Naomi, and Sirius had only been sticking up for his friends. _

_The plan had been for James and Peter to join Remus in the Shack to be with him during his transformation. Then Sirius would join them once he got out of detention, and they would explore the forest—they'd heard a rumor about Acromantulas deep in a forest cave and wanted to see if it was true._

_Once Remus had left the common room, James went on his way up to their dorm for the Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map, which they'd perfected just last term. Normally, once Madam Pomfrey safely saw Remus into the Shack, she mobilized the branches of the Whomping Willow and returned to the school, it usually only took his friends ten or fifteen minutes to join him while he waited for moonrise. But there had been... complications that night._

"_Why don't you tell him why we weren't there, _Padfoot_," James said icily._

_Sirius looked towards Madam Pomfrey's closed office door. "Er, maybe we should wait until tomorrow. Moony needs his rest, and if Poppy wakes up—" he started to walk out of the hospital wing, but James grabbed his arm and dragged him back to Remus' bedside._

"_What's going on?" Remus asked suspiciously, noticing Sirius' odder-than-usual behavior._

"_Tell him, Sirius," James said, crossing his arms. Remus raised his eyebrow higher still; James never called his best friend by his given name, not since fifth year, at least. _

_Sirius looked from James' furious face to Remus' expectant one nervously. "Well, you see, Moony." He laughed slightly. "You're going to laugh when you hear this—"_

_Remus groaned loudly. Anytime Sirius said those words, it meant at least a week's worth of detention. "What did you do?" he said with the air of wanting to get something over with quickly._

_Sirius sighed. "Well, you remember how Snape was messing with you and Naomi the other day?"_

"_Yeah..." Remus said slowly. What did Snape have to do with his friends not making it to the Shrieking Shack?_

"_And you know how Snape's been trying to follow you and find out where you go every month?" Remus nodded slowly, a very uncomfortable feeling beginning to gnaw at his guts. "Well, I had this idea, see, and it _seemed_ brilliant at the time, but—"_

"_Sirius, get to the point," Remus said impatiently._

"_Alright..." Sirius took a deep breath. "On my way back from detention, after Madam Pomfrey took you down to the Shack, I ran into Snape—he'd seen you leave and go in the direction of the willow, but he hadn't seen Pomfrey. He threatened to go to Dumbledore and get you expelled for leaving school grounds, so I... I sort of... __told him how to find you in the shack if he wanted to know where you went every month__," he said very quickly and in one breath._

_Remus blinked a few times, trying to work through what Sirius had said. Or at least what he figured he'd said. "You did what?" he said finally, through gritted teeth. "Please tell me he's kidding," he added pleadingly to James._

_James shook his head. "He's not," he said with a sigh. "Snape froze the branches and went down into the tunnel. When this idiot," he gestured to Sirius with a smack to the back of the other boy's head, "got back to the common room, he was grinning and laughing about how he finally got Snape back for everything he'd ever done to us. When I finally got it out of him, I bolted for the tree to try to catch Snape before he got to the Shack."_

"_Did you?" Remus asked flatly, already knowing the answer._

"_Sort of," James replied. "Snape was just going into the tunnel when I got out the castle door. I tried to yell at him to stop, but he wouldn't listen. When I finally caught up with him, he was right at the trapdoor. You were right in the middle of your transformation. He spotted me and said he'd finally caught you, and that you'd be on the train home the next day. He pushed open the door, and you heard him and he... he saw you."_

_Remus closed his eyes tightly and laid his head back on the headboard. He felt dizzy. "Then what?" he asked, unsure if he really wanted to know._

"_You snarled a lot, and Snape screamed like a girl and tried to pull the door shut. But you got your paw under it before he could, and you pulled it open. Snape bolted, ran right past me, and you went after him. I started running too, and then Snape tripped over a tree root and fell." James sighed. "I tried to pull him up, but he wasn't any more than dead weight—I think he fainted actually... Anyway, I transformed and blocked you from Snape, then I pushed you back to the Shack. Once you were inside, and I was sure you would stay there, I transformed back and dragged Snape out of the tunnel. Dumbledore and McGonagall were waiting for us. Sirius and Pete had tried to follow me out, but McGonagall caught them and Pete told her everything."_

"_Snape knows, then?"_

_James nodded. "Dumbledore made him swear he wouldn't tell anybody."_

_Remus looked up at Sirius, who was looking down at his shoes. He threw the blankets covering him and stood from the bed. "How could you do something so stupid?" he whispered harshly. "I could have killed him!"_

"_He would have deserved it!" Sirius snapped. "Greasy git's been trying to get us all expelled since first year!"_

_Remus didn't even realize he'd done it until after the fact. His fist had pulled back of its own accord, and then connected hard with Sirius' cheek. Sirius stumbled a bit, holding his face and looking at Remus with wide-eyes. "Do you have any idea what would have happened if Snape had died? Forget them sending me to Azkaban; the Ministry would have had me killed. Is that what you wanted, Sirius? To see them put me down like a dog?"_

"_No!" Sirius said, rubbing his bruising cheek. "I was trying to help you."_

"_Help me?" Remus shouted, not caring who he might wake. "You were using me to get back at Snape. How could you do this to me?"_

"_Remus, calm down," Sirius said._

"_I thought you were my friend, Sirius," Remus continued as if Sirius hadn't even spoken. "How bloody irresponsible can you get?" Fighting the strong urge to hit Sirius again, Remus went back to his bed. "Just get out of here, Sirius," he said calmly, his face completely void of all emotion. "I don't want to see you."_

"_Remus, I'm sorry—"_

"_Yeah, you are. A sorry excuse for a friend," Remus said, staring straight ahead at the wall. "I'll be asking McGonagall for a dorm transfer tomorrow. I don't want to be anywhere near you. James, please get him out of here before I hit him again."_

_Remus kept his jaw clenched and his eyes averted as James shoved Sirius roughly out of the hospital wing. James turned back to say he was really sorry, and Remus nodded stiffly. Once the door was closed, Remus blinked a few times and let the tears that had built up in his burning eyes fall, not bothering to wipe them away. He'd trusted his friends with the biggest secret of his life, and Sirius had turned around and used him as a part of a prank that could have gotten both Snape and him killed. When he'd first told his friends about his curse, something he'd been sure he was bound to regret, it only took a few days to realize they really didn't care, and Remus had never second-thought it again. Now, he wished he'd never come to Hogwarts. _

_That night, he cried himself to sleep—something he hadn't done since he was six, when the kids at his primary school would tease him about how sick he always looked._

* * *

Emmeline watched Remus stare miserably out the window of the Black family library over Grimmauld Place. It had been two days since he'd found out about Sirius and Naomi, and the two friends hadn't spoken since. It wasn't for lack of trying on Sirius' part; he tried talking to Remus every chance he got. But no matter if they were in the middle of dinner or just sitting around, Remus would stand and leave the room every time Sirius walked in the room.

It hadn't taken Harry long to realize what was going on—he'd figured out his guardians were fighting at breakfast Christmas morning, when Sirius had come down to the kitchen and sat at the table beside Remus, like he always did. He'd asked his best friend to pass the toast, but instead, Remus had taken his full plate, emptied it into the trash, and went up to lock himself in the library for the day.

Sirius was teaching Harry defense techniques before he went back to school, and Emmeline had tried to get Remus to go help, but Remus flat out refused to be anywhere near Sirius. It was a rather sad and unnatural sight, having the two remaining Marauders' friendship hanging by a thread, and if they didn't talk about this soon, Emmeline couldn't see them getting past this.

"Hey," she said, sitting in front of Remus on the window ledge.

"Hey," he muttered.

"You're miserable," she said matter-of-factly. Remus raised an eyebrow at his reflection, but didn't look down at her. "Why don't you go down and help Sirius with Harry's defense lesson?"

"That would require talking to Sirius and I'm not willing to do that right now," Remus said flatly.

Emmeline rolled her eyes. "How long is this going to go on?"

"Until I think he's suffered enough."

"Remus, this is ridiculous! He's your best friend! The two of you wouldn't know what to do without the other."

"I went five years without him and I was just fine."

"No, you were depressed the whole bloody time. You told me that yourself. Look, I understand you're upset, but please, don't let this break you and Sirius apart. It's just not natural..."

Remus smiled slightly, but it faded quickly. "If he would have just told me..."

"How would you have reacted?"

"I don't know," he admitted quietly. "You know, we went a month without speaking in sixth year after the Snape incident."

"How'd you make up?"

Now Remus did smile. "It was the next full moon," he began. "Madam Pomfrey took me to the Whomping Willow just like every month. When I got to the Shack, Sirius was sitting in one of the busted chairs. I'd been avoiding him, and he knew I couldn't get away from him just before my transformation. I told him to get out, that I had nothing to say to him, but being the stubborn prat he is, he didn't listen. He followed me up to the room I transformed in, and even though I locked him out, he still stayed there all night, telling me what an idiot he'd been and how sorry he was.

"The next afternoon, after my routine visit to the hospital wing, I went back to our dorm for my schoolbag to go to class, and found a bar of Honeyduke's chocolate on my bed. That used to be Sirius' way of apologizing—he never liked to admit he'd done something wrong, and though he'd been apologizing all night, he seemed to think chocolate would make me forgive him quicker. I went to lunch, sat with my friends, and James told some stupid joke about a goblin and a hag in a pub. We all laughed and everything was back to normal."

Emmeline smiled. "So if you and he could get past that, can't you move on from this?"

"Can I just pretend he doesn't exist for a few days?"

"Will that make you feel better?" Remus nodded. Emmeline rolled her eyes. "Just as long as this is over before Harry goes back to school. Let him see that you two are okay so he's not worrying. Honestly, I've never known a kid who worries as much as he does."

"Well, it's not as if he's got no reason," Remus said. "As many times as Sirius and I have escaped death... It's a miracle we've made it this bloody long." He smiled wryly and finally looked at Emmeline. "You're entering a cursed family, Miss Vance."

Emmeline only smiled and stood. "I've told you before, Mr. Lupin, I'll take my chances."

* * *

The basement kitchen of Number Twelve had been transformed into a makeshift targeting range. The kitchen table, appliances, and counter had all been vanished temporarily, and the room itself had been expanded a great deal to give the two wizards room to work freely. On one side of the kitchen, Sirius sat on a stool, directly behind Harry, throwing instructions to his godson every so often. On the other side of the room, ten targets moved around randomly at different speeds, throwing spells at Harry as his godfather touched the tip of his wand to his forehead and thought of curses and hexes—nothing too damaging, of course, in case something actually hit Harry—just enough to get the boy frustrated about not shielding himself before the curse got him.

For the first two hours of the lesson, Harry's accuracy had been near perfect, but as Sirius' mind began to drift to his best friend, he paid less attention to what spells he was using, and eventually Harry ended up crouched on the floor with his hands over his head. Sirius, his focus elsewhere altogether, remained safe with a permanent shield charm around him.

"Sirius!" Harry yelled as a stunner flew over his head.

Sirius snapped his head down to his godson and immediately pulled his wand from his temple. "Bloody hell," he said, kneeling next to Harry to make sure he was all right. "Sorry about that, kid..."

Panting, Harry looked up, glaring at his godfather. "What the hell? Are you trying to kill me?"

"Now why would I want to kill my favorite godson?" Sirius grinned, once he was satisfied that Harry was undamaged.

"Only godson," Harry reminded him in a mutter, allowing Sirius to help him up. "So why are you spacing out? Still worried about what happened with Remus?"

Sirius glanced at Harry out of the corner of his eye as he grabbed a couple of butterbeers from the icebox. "How much do you know?" He sighed.

"Well, besides the fact that Remus seems to despise your very existence at the moment, I've got nothing. You guys were fine on Christmas Eve, before Dumbledore showed up. What happened?"

"Remember the discussion you and I had about Naomi?" Sirius asked, passing his godson a butterbeer. Harry nodded. "And remember how I said nothing is worth losing Remus' friendship over? Well, that nothing is up in a guest room and Remus has found out about her."

"I thought I heard Emmeline say something about Naomi the other night," Harry said thoughtfully. "Is she okay?"

Sirius shrugged. "No idea. I really hope so, but..." he trailed off, staring pensively at his butterbeer bottle. "Poppy says she's got some nasty injuries and a concussion worse than anything you've ever had. She could wake up at any minute, or her condition could worsen to the point that we could lose her." He bit his lip and swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat. After a few minutes, Sirius realized Harry was still watching him closely. "But one thing I do know is that my best friend doesn't want to be in the same room with me, let alone have a conversation with me."

"But you'll make up, right? I mean, he can't ignore you forever, can he?"

"No idea," Sirius said again, smiling humorlessly. "Don't worry about it, Harry. We'll sort it out." He turned towards the targets. "Now, let's check how you did... _Immobulus,"_ he muttered, pointing his wand at each of the ten targets in turn. He began to laugh loudly as he looked at one in particular: A very close likeness of a certain blond-haired Death Eater. "Old Lucius isn't looking so good, is he?" Sirius said, poking a finger through the burn mark in the cardboard target's eye. "And what did you do to Snivelly?"

Harry grinned. "I thought he could use a hair washing..."

"This does not leave the kitchen," Sirius said sternly.

"You're going to bring this up at the next Order meeting, aren't you?"

"Would I really do that to you?" Sirius asked innocently.

Harry raised an eyebrow in a very Remus-like way. "Yes, you would," he said flatly.

Sirius grinned. "Well, I'd never use your name."

Harry shook his head hopelessly and watched Sirius return the kitchen to its normal state.

* * *

A few days later, after a tense breakfast—regardless of what Emmeline said, Remus wasn't letting Sirius off that easily—Remus, Emmeline, and Sirius left for work, leaving Harry alone in Number Twelve. Molly would be coming by later in the morning to check on Naomi, and Harry would return to the Burrow with her for the day. Remus did his best to forget about his problems with Sirius as he sat behind his desk and began working on some reports. He was successful for about an hour until Sirius burst into his office, startling Remus' grindylow.

"Sirius, I'm very busy; I don't have time—" Remus began, not looking up from his paperwork.

"Ron Weasley's missing," Sirius cut him off breathlessly.

This got Remus' attention. He dropped his quill and looked up to Sirius. "You want to run that by me again, please?" he said slowly.

Sirius sighed and closed the door. "Molly went to wake Ron for breakfast. His bed was empty and his bedroom window was wide open," he said.

"Is she sure he didn't go out for an early broom ride?"

"That was her first thought, after what she was going to do to Ron when she found him. His broomstick is in the shed," Sirius said. "And you know that old clock of hers? Ron's hand is on 'mortal peril'."

"Well, that doesn't mean anything," Remus said calmly, hoping this was all a mistake. "Molly told me only last week all the family's hands were on mortal peril. Except Percy's—his is on prison, of course."

Sirius shook his head. "All the hands except Percy's have moved back to home in the middle of the night..."

Remus closed his eyes tightly and rubbed his temples. "Does Harry know?" he asked quietly.

"I don't think so, but if he finds out from someone besides us, he's going to flip."

"You don't think he'll flip, anyway?" Remus said flatly.

"Good point," Sirius said. "I've got to get over to the Burrow, see if we can't find anything. Can you get a hold of Harry?"

"Of course," Remus said. "Let me know what you find."

Sirius nodded. "I will. See you in a bit."

Sirius left as quickly as he'd come. Remus stood, walking from his office to a cubicle on the far end of his department. He cleared his throat and Charlie Weasley looked up, smiling, from the book he was reading. Remus sighed. "Charlie, we need to talk..."


	17. Seventeen

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Seventeen_

A team of Aurors and Forensics wizards Apparated onto the front lawn of the Burrow, followed closely by Arthur Weasley who burst past them and into the awaiting arms of his nearly hysterical wife. Sirius sighed and turned to his squads, assigning jobs in a rush. He and Tonks took the hardest job of all: questioning the Weasleys and Hermione. The cousins entered the Burrow through the kitchen door, finding the family congregated around the table, and Molly sobbing in Arthur's arms. Tonks led Ginny and Hermione, whose eyes were red and puffed, into the sitting room, leaving Sirius with the twins, Bill, Molly, and Arthur. He sat at the table with another sigh and started with Bill.

"When did you last see Ron?" Sirius asked quietly.

"Dinner last night," the oldest Weasley child answered promptly. "Charlie, Fleur, and I left here around eight."

"Did you notice anything odd when you left?"

Bill shook his head. "No, not really."

Sirius asked him a few more questions—Had Ron said anything about running away? Any idea where he could have gone if he had run away?—and moved on to the twins. Sirius had known Fred and George Weasley since they were eight years old, and he'd never seen them look more serious before. It was rather disturbing. Neither of them could tell the Auror anything about Ron's whereabouts after ten o'clock, when their younger brother yelled at them for filling his sock drawer with stink pellets.

"Not really our best prank ever," Fred said, attempting a smile.

"But we hadn't done anything to him in a while and we didn't want him to think we'd forgotten about him," George finished.

All Molly and Arthur could tell him for certain was that they'd said good night to Ron at nine—Arthur had to be in at the Ministry early, so they'd turned in early.

"What about the wards?" Fred asked suddenly. "Can't they tell you if someone's come or gone?"

Sirius nodded. "I've got someone checking the wards right now. Listen, I'm going to go up to Ron's room, if that's all right, to see if I can find anything." Arthur nodded his permission and Sirius left the kitchen.

He entered the sitting room, glancing at the Weasley family clock to confirm what Molly said as he passed. "Tonks," he said quietly, interrupting the conversation his cousin was having with Ginny. "Come upstairs with me, please."

Tonks nodded, smiled bracingly at the girls, and stood to follow Sirius up the crooked stairs. They found Ron's room easily—it was the one with all the orange Chudley Cannons merchandise.

"And Remus says Harry's room was a mess," Sirius muttered, taking in the clothes and books scattered all over the floor. "What did you get from the girls?"

"Well, he was definitely in here around midnight," Tonks began. "Hermione was in here with him."

Sirius blinked. "Hermione Granger?"

She nodded. "She says they were just talking."

"Yeah, that was always my excuse too," Sirius said without any trace of humor in his eyes. "All right, so Ron was here at least until midnight. Did Hermione say anything about him acting oddly?"

"I asked, and she said no more than usual."

"Okay, start looking around for anything out of the ordinary," Sirius said, turning to look around the room. He took out his wand and cast a charm that would detect any magic performed in the room in the last twenty-four hours. His eyes widened a touch when his spell concluded that a Stunning spell had been cast just past two a.m.

"Sirius, you need to see this," Tonks said slowly. Sirius turned. His cousin was at Ron's desk, holding a piece of parchment. He took it from her hands and read aloud:

_Mum and Dad— _

_I've run away to somewhere you won't find me. It's better this way. _

_Goodbye._

_  
Love,  
Ron_

"Bull shit," Sirius scoffed. "First of all, that's the worst runaway note I've ever read in my life—mine was a hundred times better than this fuzz. Second of all, there was a stunning spell cast in here last night. Ron wouldn't leave home without his Cleansweep... Or his wand," he added, spotting Ron's willow wand under a stack of comic books.

They heard footsteps on the staircase and turned around find Remus standing at the door. "Find anything?" he asked awkwardly.

"Ron's wand," Sirius said, waving it around. "Someone used a Stunner, and this note—I think it was planted."

Remus took the note and read it, his eyebrows high as he finished. "This isn't Ron's handwriting, anyway," he said, handing it back to Sirius.

"How do you know?" Tonks asked.

"It's legible," Remus said simply. "I taught the boy for three years, and I was never able to read his papers without a translator. His handwriting is worse than yours, Sirius. This looks like..." Remus shook his head. "But it's not possible..."

"What?" Sirius said.

Remus sighed. "It looks like Percy's handwriting, like he wrote this really hastily."

"Percy?" Sirius said flatly.

"Like I said, it's not possible. But that's what it looks like to me."

"You're sure?"

Remus nodded. "Pretty sure..."

Sirius turned to Tonks. "We're going to Azkaban." Tonks nodded. "Did you tell Harry?" he asked, turning back to Remus.

The other wizard nodded. "He's downstairs with the girls."

"Figures," Sirius said, looking at the note again. "Before we go, I want to see what the others found out about the wards."

"What are we going to tell Molly and Arthur?" Tonks asked.

"No idea," the Head Auror said. "We'll figure something out. C'mon."

The three of them went downstairs where they were immediately ambushed by Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and the twins, who were all asking questions at once. "We're not sure yet," Sirius said, prying Harry's death grip off his robes. "Just hang tight. We're going to find him..."

Molly had gone upstairs to rest for a bit, so Sirius led Arthur outside to fill him in on what he and Tonks found in Ron's bedroom. After seeing the note, Arthur confirmed that it was indeed Percy's handwriting.

"But how could he have written this?" Arthur asked. "He's in..." he trailed off, his jaw clenched. It seemed he still hadn't gotten over his third oldest son's betrayal of the family.

"I'm not sure, but Tonks and I are going out there when we finish here," Sirius said. "We'll find out, Arthur," he promised.

"Hey, boss!" Auror Savage called, approaching the others. "We checked the wards around the property, and there was a hole big enough for a well-built wizard to get through just on the other side of the orchard. Magical Forensics found a few footprints, and they're analyzing them now."

"So they broke through the wards?" Tonks asked. "How are the wards still up if there's a hole in them?"

"Well, that's the odd thing," Savage said. "We don't know. The wards are still functioning properly except that one spot."

"I want somebody to reinforce the wards," Sirius said. "Tonks and I are going to Azkaban. Contact me when Forensics finishes with those footprints." Savage nodded and went back to word.

Arthur wanted to go to the prison with the Aurors, but Sirius talked him out of it, telling the frenzied man that he needed to stay with his wife and children. The last time Sirius had seen Percy, the younger wizard had been thin and sickly looking, his hair long and dirty—Arthur didn't need to see his son like that right now. Remus, however, didn't listen when Sirius told him that he didn't need to be there. So Sirius, Remus, and Tonks Apparated to the stormy seacoast and boarded the small wooden Muggle boat. Sirius tapped the edge with his wand to speed up their progress to Azkaban, and the three of them sat wondering what was happening to Ron and if they'd ever be able to find him.

* * *

Azkaban Prison wasn't the punishment it had once been when the dementors guarded the prisoners. But although the dementors had left a few years ago, the chilling atmosphere remained. Some said it was merely psychological that one could walk into the stone fortress and feel as though there was no hope of ever being happy again. Some said it was because the dementors had been there for so long the stones of the prison walls had absorbed the power of the dark creatures. The prisoners were no longer left with only their worst memories as company, but many had started to go mad nonetheless, and nobody inside the Ministry of Magic could explain why.

In the maximum-security ward, where the majority of the prisoners were housed these days, the lingering effects of the dementors were more intense than in any other part of the prison. The farthest cell in the corridor held a young man belonging to a family that was widely known to be fighting against the dark Lord Voldemort. His twenty years of life didn't hold many bad memories, save perhaps his frustrations with his younger twin brothers.

Percy Weasley's worst memories consisted of the last few years before his capture by Sirius Black and Kingsley Shacklebolt. He'd always been very ambitious, determined to have more than what he grew up with. His parents had always encouraged him in his studies and his goals of eventually becoming Minister of Magic.

But that had been before he'd discovered his true path in life.

The Dark Lord had promised him power beyond his wildest dreams—wealth, fame, respect, Percy could have had it all. Percy and the Dark Lord had much in common—both had been Head Boys during their seventh year at Hogwarts; both were ashamed of their families. Percy knew much about his master, about his tainted bloodline, and his Muggle of a father. This made no difference to Percy; he never thought much about wizarding bloodlines. After all, his own family was nothing but a bunch of blood traitors.

Percy's first mission for the Dark Lord had been to murder Harry Potter using a poison developed by the Dark Lord himself during the first war. Percy's family had moved in with Potter and his guardians in the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, and Percy had been able to keep his cover and get access into the old house. One morning, Percy had snuck into Number Twelve with the poison. He'd soon enlisted the help of Kreacher the house-elf. Percy ordered Kreacher to hide the poison until the werewolf Lupin left for his mission in France and Potter had gone to bed. The Dark Lord warned Percy that the poison would cause much pain for Potter and that Black would come running to his precious godson when he heard the boy's screams. Percy personally made sure a silencing charm was placed around Potter's bedroom.

That was where Percy made his first mistake; he'd miscalculated which room was Potter's, and had instead put a silencing charm around his sister Ginny's room. Luckily for Percy, his master had been more upset with Severus Snape for brewing the antidote, and Percy wasn't punished too fiercely for his blunder.

Percy now spent his days waiting for the moment his master would come to set him free. He hadn't forgotten the night in the Ministry holding cells, when Naomi had come to bust Snape out. He understood that it would have been quite difficult to sneak numerous prisoners out of the Ministry—Black wasn't the only Auror there that night—and he knew it'd only be a matter of time before his fellow Death Eaters would come for him.

The door into the ward opened. Percy paid no attention to it; the wizard guards came in often to check the prisoners. Only when three sets of footsteps continued down the corridor and stopped outside Percy's cell did the young wizard look away from the ceiling. "What do you want?" he sneered at the visitors.

Black approached the bars and opened the door using a nonverbal charm. Only select Ministry Aurors knew the charm, cutting down on the amount of people who could open the cells. "We're going to have a chat, Percy," Black said evenly. "Get up and come quietly. Or if not, I can put a Silencing Charm on you and drag you out by your ears. Your choice."

Percy glared at the Head Auror, but stood. He'd always had a slight fear of Sirius Black—most people did. Black grabbed his upper arm tightly, keeping his wand pointed at the prisoner as they passed Tonks and Lupin. "Hello, Professor." Percy smirked. "Did you enjoy your meal a few months back? Too bad the silver didn't do its job properly..."

"Shut it, Percy," Black growled, jabbing his wand sharply into Percy's side. Percy chuckled lightly at the reaction and the startled glance he saw Black and Lupin exchange.

The Aurors and Lupin led Percy to the prison's interrogation room—Percy was sure he knew why, but he wanted to watch Dumbledore's stooges struggle to get information out of him. Black pushed his prisoner roughly into a cold metal chair, which immediately wrapped Percy in chains around the arms and legs. Black and Tonks sat across from him, and Lupin leaned calmly against the wall, observing.

"Where's your brother, Percy?" Sirius asked coldly.

"Which one?" Percy replied smartly. Slowly, Sirius reached into his robes and pulled out the note found in Ron's room and placed it on the table in front of Percy.

"Where's Ron?" the Head Auror asked quietly.

"How should I know?" Percy asked stiffly.

"That's your handwriting," Sirius responded. "I've got two people who've confirmed it, including your father. So unless you want to deal with the consequences, I suggest you tell me where Ron is."

"Consequences?" Percy laughed. "I'm in prison; what could you possibly do to make do to make it any worse?"

"Oh I could do a lot, Percy," Sirius said in a deathly quiet voice. "I haven't forgotten what you did to my godson and I could make your pitiful existence much more miserable than it already is. So be a good lad and tell us what you know."

Percy sneered. "I don't know anything about Ron."

"But you wrote this note, right? How did the note get from your hands to Ron's desk? As you've said, you're in prison. Percy, if I have to use Veritaserum, I will."

Percy considered them for a moment. "You should really keep a closer eye on your Aurors, Sirius." He grinned darkly.

Sirius sat up straighter in his chair. "What do you mean?"

"What's it worth to you?" Percy asked, examining his fingernails.

"Percy, I won't hesitate to take a bit of frustration out on you. We're not bargaining here; you're going to tell me what you know, and then you're going back to your cell until I need you again," Sirius said, highly tempted to pick up his wand to curse Percy anyway.

"Why should I tell you anything if I'm not getting something out of it?"

"It's either that, or I beat you to a bloody pulp," Sirius said. "And nobody in this room will stop me."

Percy looked at Remus and Tonks; both stared stonily back. He'd already pushed his limits quite far, and he knew if he smarted off to Sirius anymore, the Head Auror wouldn't hesitate to make his threat a reality. Sirius was twirling his wand between his fingers, glaring at the prisoner, waiting. Percy decided he wasn't in the mood to deal with the concussion Sirius would surely give him for not answering.

"Very well," Percy said, attempting his normal pompous tone, and at the same time, trying to keep the frightened squeak from his voice. "One of your Aurors is working for the Dark Lord. He was inspecting the prison one night and told me of the plan. He said the Dark Lord needed me to write a note resembling my brother's handwriting. I don't know where Ron is; probably in the Dark Lord's hideout. But I do know he's there as bait. The Dark Lord is trying to get Potter to go after Ron, and when he does, the Dark Lord will kill him."

Sirius exchanged another glance with Remus. "Who's the Auror?"

"I believe his name is Johnson."

* * *

Later that evening, Emmeline arrived at the Burrow just after work. She'd tried to get away earlier, but her workload had been far too heavy. Molly was still asleep—when asked, Arthur admitted to slipping a Sleeping Draught in his wife's tea. Emmeline didn't blame him. There'd been no word from Sirius, Remus, and Tonks, so there was no need in having Molly awake and pacing around.

Emmeline and Bill took care of preparing dinner for everybody, though none of them seemed to have any sort of appetite. Harry, Hermione, and Ginny hadn't moved from their spots on the sitting room sofa. Hermione had been crying most of the day while Harry held her. Emmeline couldn't imagine what it felt like for them, wondering where their best friend was and if he was even still alive. Sirius told her once that just being associated with him, Harry, and Remus, was a death wish. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Voldemort knew who Harry's best friends were—Hermione's parents had been murdered because their daughter's friend happened to be the Boy-Who-Lived. It was no way for kids to live, fearing that they or their family could be killed or taken from them.

The backdoor of the Burrow opened and Sirius, Remus, and Tonks finally entered. The sound of the door attracted all the Weasley children, Harry, and Hermione in the sitting room—they came running, staring expectantly at the new arrivals for news. Arthur pushed past them, having just come down from his and Molly's bedroom.

"Did you find out anything?" he asked Sirius desperately.

The Head Auror looked past Arthur at their audience. "Perhaps we should talk outside..." Arthur grabbed his cloak from a kitchen chair and allowed Sirius to steer him into the backyard.

Inside, Remus barely had a chance to sit before Harry practically pounced on him. "What happened?" he demanded quietly.

"Harry," Remus said, shaking his head. "Now isn't the time."

"Where's our brother?" Fred asked. Emmeline thought she head his voice catch.

"We're not sure," Tonks answered. "Look, you've all got to understand that this is going to take some time. We've only got one lead, and it's not a very good one..."

Ginny sniffed and rested her head against Harry's shoulder; he put an arm around her shoulder, his free hand holding Hermione's tightly. "You will find him, right?" Harry asked, looking from Tonks to Remus.

"We're going to try," Remus said hoarsely. It sounded as though it was breaking his heart to watch the kids worry like this.

Bill cleared his throat softly. "Why don't you lot go upstairs for a bit?" he told the younger children. Fred and George led Harry, Hermione and Ginny out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Emmeline sat beside Remus, who immediately took her hand in his.

"What happened at Azkaban?" Charlie asked. "Did you talk to Percy?"

"Oh yeah," Tonks said darkly. "We talked to him. He admitted to writing the note, but he's got no idea where Ron is—and this was after Sirius threatened to beat the hell out of him. He said Mark Johnson has been working for Voldemort for a while, and Sirius is really pissed."

"The Auror?" Emmeline asked with a raised eyebrow. "I knew him in school, dated him for a month in fourth year, actually..."

"Really?" Remus asked with his own raised eyebrows. "You know, you and I have this odd habit of dating Death Eaters. It's very disturbing." Emmeline slapped him on the shoulder.

Bill laughed slightly, but with very little conviction. "Has Sirius talked to this Johnson yet? Maybe he knows where we can find Ron."

"After he talks with your father, Sirius is going to the Ministry," Remus said. "Look, Bill, Charlie, right now we've got no idea where Ron is. Percy was no help except telling us about Johnson. We're going to do our best, but unless we can figure out where Voldemort's hideout is..." He sighed heavily. "We're going to do our best..."

Sirius and Arthur entered a few minutes later, Arthur looking angrier than any of them had ever seen him. He passed through the kitchen without a word to anybody and went up the stairs, presumably to be with Molly. Bill and Charlie followed their father not long after, and Sirius stood to leave for the Ministry. "I'll meet you guys back at Headquarters," he said tiredly. "Remus, thanks for coming to Azkaban with us," he added awkwardly.

Remus nodded without looking at him and Sirius Disapparated with a _pop_. Tonks was going to stay at the Burrow that night with Bill and Charlie for extra security, and Remus and Emmeline prepared to take their own leave. Harry glared at Remus when the werewolf went upstairs to get him, but Remus' raised eyebrow had more power, and Harry followed him to the fireplace without a fight.

Once back at Number Twelve, Harry stumbled out of the fireplace to the table and fell into a chair, promptly burying his head in his hands. Emmeline, wanting to give Remus and Harry some time alone, said she was going up to check on Naomi. The older wizard sat beside the boy and put an arm around his shoulder. "Harry, are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Harry shook his head and lowered his hands. "It's all my fault," he muttered.

Remus sighed heavily. He'd had a feeling Harry would try to blame himself for this at some point, but he hadn't been able to figure out what to say to him when it came up. "This isn't your fault," he said quietly but firmly. "You've done nothing to cause this, and there was nothing you could have done to stop it."

"No, but I'm the one Voldemort really wants," Harry said bitterly, not looking at Remus. "My friends suffer because I survived a curse that should have killed me. You and Sirius have been through hell because of me. If I wasn't around, everyone would be a lot happier, not to mention safer."

Remus increased his grip on Harry's shoulder. "Look at me," he said sternly. Harry ignored him, so Remus reached out with his free hand and turned the boy's face to look at him. "I don't _ever_ want to hear you say anything like that again, do you understand me? Nothing that has happened to any of us is because of you. As for being happier without you..." Remus shook his head, looking directly into Harry's eyes. "Harry, you mean the world to me. I would die if it meant you would be happy and safe. You've made me happier than you can ever imagine by just existing. From the day you were born, I knew my life would never be the same with you around, and I mean that in the best way possible. Without you, I'd have no reason to fight, or to live. Not one person who loves you would be happier if you were gone. Look, there are three people in the entire world that I cannot live without. That's Sirius, Emmeline, and you. The three of you are my world.

"Now, do you honestly believe Voldemort would stop coming after us if you were gone? Harry, he's been after Sirius and me since we left Hogwarts. We've pissed him off way too many times in our lives, and that has nothing to do with you. I know you're worried about Ron, but you cannot blame yourself for what's happened. We will do everything we can to bring him back. In the meantime, I need you to not do anything stupid."

"He's my best friend!" Harry said. "If it was Sirius Voldemort had, wouldn't you want to rush in and save him?"

"Yes," Remus said honestly. "I understand where you're coming from, but please, Harry, leave this to us. Voldemort _wants_ you to go after Ron. He expects it. You'd be playing right into his hands."

"So you just want me to sit around and do nothing," Harry said flatly.

"I know it's hard," Remus said. "But sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is sit on the sidelines and watch."

"I want to help..."

"I know. If there's anything you can do to help, you'll be the first to know, but until that time, please—I'm begging you here—don't put yourself in a position that you could get hurt, okay?"

Harry was unable to look away from Remus' eyes, though he tried. Finally, he nodded jerkily. "Okay."

Remus smiled slightly. "Thank you," he said hoarsely, pulling Harry close. The boy buried his head into the wizard's chest, and Remus saw his shoulders begin to shake before he felt a wet spot appear on his shirt.


	18. Eighteen

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Eighteen_

Three days after Ron's disappearance, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny had to return to Hogwarts without him. Molly had wanted to keep her only daughter close to home, but Arthur eventually convinced her that Ginny was safest at school with Dumbledore. There still hadn't been any breakthroughs in finding the lost Weasley; Auror Johnson, who Percy identified as the one who had planted the note in Ron's bedroom, claimed to have been under the Imperius Curse. A Healer was called in to examine Johnson and she confirmed that he had indeed been under somebody else's control that night.

Back at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, Naomi woke in a near panic, apparently unaware that she was nowhere near Lord Voldemort. The evening after the kids left for Hogwarts, Sirius heard her screams while he, Remus, and Emmeline were having a rather tense dinner. He sprinted up the stairs, past his mother's screaming portrait, and to her side to calm her. By the time Remus and Emmeline had silenced Mrs. Black and made it to Naomi's room, she'd attached herself to Sirius, and was sobbing heavily into his chest. Madam Pomfrey was contacted to examine the witch. Upon examination, the nurse told the others that Naomi would be fine. However, whatever had been done to Naomi had traumatized her, and she couldn't seem to understand that she was safe. Until she did, it would be best if she was not left alone. Molly offered to stay with her during the day; Sirius figured it was to keep her mind off Ron.

At night, Sirius didn't leave her side. He told her everything that had happened since she'd been brought to Headquarters. Naomi told him she hadn't heard anything about Ron being kidnapped or held hostage, but promised to help in any way she could.

Her thoughts on the fight between Sirius and Remus rather surprised the Auror. "You're a moron," she said to him after he told her what happened. "I told you two months ago that you needed to tell Remus what was going on between us, and you still didn't do it."

"What was I supposed to say to him, Naomi?" Sirius asked in frustration. "'Hey, Remus, I'm shagging your ex fiancée—you know, the first woman you ever loved? Oh, and would you pass the butter?"

Naomi raised an eyebrow. "Is that all I am to you? A shag?" Sirius opened his mouth to argue, but she shook her head, silencing him. "Don't... sorry..." She sighed. "How'd he find out, anyway?"

"The night Dumbledore brought you here, I came in and was talking to you. Remus walked in as I was kissing you good night."

"You kissed me when I was unconscious?"

"I kissed you all the time when you were unconscious. Do you have a problem with that?" Sirius grinned, leaning over her. She smiled and shook her head slightly, reaching up to pull him closer.

Their kiss only lasted a few seconds when someone cleared their throat at the door. They broke apart and Sirius silently groaned when he spotted Remus. "Dinner's ready," the other wizard said stiffly, not looking at either of them. "Emmeline wanted you to know."

_We really need a bell charm over that door... _Sirius thought, sighing as glanced at Naomi. "I'll bring something up for you," he said quietly, squeezing her hand. He stood from the edge of the bed and left the room, wordlessly passing Remus on the way out.

Remus glanced at Naomi briefly before turning to leave.

"Remus, wait!" she called. He paused at the door. "Could I talk with you for a minute?"

"The last time you asked me that, I ended up in a lot of trouble with my girlfriend," he said flatly.

"That won't happen this time," she said. "You don't even have to come near me. Please, just listen?" She could tell he was hesitating, but after a few moments, he turned to face her. He leaned against the wall expectantly. "Sirius is a moron," she began. Remus couldn't help but laugh a bit. "He wanted to tell you about us, but he didn't know how. But I mean, how would you tell him something like that, Remus?"

Remus looked down at his feet, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Look, Sirius cares about you a lot. He didn't mean to hurt you and he didn't want to lie to you. He feels horrible for doing that, but he didn't see any other way."

"He could have just told me..." Remus muttered.

"And as I said, how would _you_ have told him?"

"It doesn't matter what I would've said!" Remus whispered harshly. "I never would have lied and gone behind his back, not for anybody. I appreciate you're trying to defend him, but I can deal with this on my own."

"Is it because it's me that you're this upset?" she asked bluntly, ignoring what he said.

He finally looked up. "No," he said.

"You're lying," she said promptly. "Your eye twitches when you lie, you know. Why are you so upset that he's with me, Remus? Am I really so horrible?"

Remus stared at her for a moment, sizing her up. "I don't want you to do to him what you did to me," he said quietly.

Naomi bit her lip and nodded. "I figured as much." She sighed. "Well, it'll be rather difficult for me to leave him to join the Death Eaters now that they've tried to kill me—"

"Don't," he snapped. "Don't you _dare_ joke about this, Naomi. You know what I'm talking about, don't act like you don't. Look, I'm very thankful to you for saving us at Christmas, and I always will be, but—"

"You told me that night that you trusted me," she interrupted. "Were you lying then?"

"No," he said honestly. "I do trust you, but this is my best friend's heart you're dealing with. And if you break it—"

"I don't intend to," she said softly. "I don't want to..."

Remus watched her for a few minutes. "Are you in love with him?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

She held his gaze steadily. "Yes," she said just as quietly.

"Good," he said simply with a small smile. "He loves you too."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "What? How do you know this?"

"I heard him tell you one night when you were asleep."

"Oh," she managed to say.

"I'd better get down to dinner. I'll make sure he saves you something." He turned to leave again.

"Remus!" she called again. He turned back. "He told me about you and Emmeline... Congratulations. I really mean that."

He smiled. "Thank you, Naomi."

* * *

Hogwarts wasn't the same anymore. Since the term's start, Harry hadn't eaten or slept. He hadn't paid attention in any of the classes he hadn't skived, and he'd even forgotten to fight with Malfoy, who was suddenly back to his old self. Harry wasn't the only miserable Gryffindor, though; Hermione's studies were suffering dramatically as she spent most of her time in a daze.

It was nearing midnight and Harry had been sitting in the same armchair in the Gryffindor common room since he'd returned from dinner. The fire in front of him had been dying out for hours, though Harry hadn't noticed. His ears were full of a buzzing noise as he tried not to think of his best friend and the fact that he, Harry, was sitting at school doing nothing to help him. The Ministry had no idea where to begin on Ron's case, nor did the Order of the Phoenix. What hope was there that Harry would ever see Ron again if no one could figure out how to find him?

Harry had once overheard a conversation between Sirius and Remus about a place in Albania that had disappeared from the map they'd developed for the Order. The spot was surrounded by a forest, and on either side of this spot was where the werewolves had been slaughtered a little over a year ago. Both of Harry's guardians thought this place was where Voldemort and his Death Eaters were hiding, but they had no solid proof; neither Snape nor Naomi had any idea where they met with the Dark Lord; they Apparated directly in and out of the place, and never went outside its walls. If this blank spot in Albania was where Voldemort was hiding, what were the chances that Ron was there too? And what would be the chances of somebody going in there to rescue him? The only person in the Order who could get in there without sparking suspicion anymore was Snape. But if Snape busted Ron out to safety, his work as a spy would be jeopardized, and the Order wouldn't risk that—they'd already lost Naomi as a spy, after all...

But if Snape brought somebody into the Death Eater hideout with him, and that other person went to save Ron, Voldemort need never know that Snape was betraying him. No, that would never work; somebody would notice an intruder—unless the person was undetectable somehow. Voldemort had probably rigged his hideout to detect anybody under Invisibility Cloaks, or Disillusionment charms, though. Harry groaned in frustration. Anything he thought of, Voldemort would have thought of first.

Harry turned his head to look out the common room window at the moon that would be full in a few days. He wondered if Sirius and Remus would make up in time for Padfoot and Moony to enjoy the night together. Harry's guardians had been letting him spend the full moon with them ever since that past summer, when Harry had perfected his Animagus transformation, and they'd been some of the best experiences of Harry's life. Ron was close to completing his own transformation as well. Harry suspected only a few more months, and he would have it done. Then Ron could also join the Marauders on the full moon.

_But now, he'll never get the chance,_ Harry thought miserably. After his talk with Remus, Harry had stopped blaming himself, but he still felt horrible that there was nothing he could do. _Some savior of the wizarding world I am_, he thought bitterly. _Can't even save my best friend! What have I done to fight against Voldemort? Nothing! About the only thing I could do to him is peck at his eyes in my Animagus form— _

Harry's thoughts stopped abruptly and his eyes widened. There was something he could do to help Ron, but he needed to talk to his guardians to get the plan moving. Tomorrow would be a Hogsmeade day. Harry could have Sirius or Remus meet him somewhere, or while everyone was out of Gryffindor tower, he could Floo back to Headquarters. Harry's heart was beating wildly in his chest as he thought the idea over in his head. They'd see Ron again, after all.

* * *

Sirius and Naomi were curled up together in Naomi's bed the next afternoon. The witch had slept for most of the day—her body and mind were both still exhausted and weak after her near death experience at the hands of the Dark Lord. Sirius remained at her side in case she woke from a nightmare and needed his comfort. She'd told him what had happened to her after the incident at the cottage, and Sirius had been forced to fight the surge of rage and disgust that had erupted in him. Voldemort hadn't only used the Cruciatus curse on his betrayer, but a number of other spells that caused pain and misery. Other Death Eaters had been allowed a chance at Naomi as well. Wands hadn't been the only tools used to torture her—many of the wizard-Death Eaters had been permitted to do any number of horrible, unspeakable things to her—things that had Naomi waking in the middle of the night screaming, pushing, and punching away from Sirius until she finally recognized him.

Naomi had no idea how she'd made it to the Hogwarts gates. She claimed that the last thing she recalled was crawling painfully across a stone floor, trying to get away from some Death Eater. She'd gone into a room, locked the door, and then passed out. At Hogwarts, she'd woken just long enough to tell Dumbledore that Voldemort knew what she'd done and that she was sorry she'd failed the Order.

Sirius opened his eyes as he felt Naomi move against his chest. He ran a hand gently across her back, hoping that if she was having a nightmare, he'd be able to wake her easily—he hated seeing her so terrified.

She sighed softly and moved her hand across his chest before lifting her head a bit and opening her eyes. "Hi," she said quietly with a weak smile.

"Hey." He smiled back. "How'd you sleep?"

"All right," she answered. "Thank you for staying with me, by the way."

"There's nothing I'd rather be doing," he said. "Besides, it's the least I can do after what you did for us. You've no idea what that meant to us, Naomi, and there's no way we could ever thank you."

"Well, I couldn't just let him kill you," she said dismissively.

"But there aren't many people who would risk their lives the way you did. You had to have known he'd figure you out when we disappeared..."

"I didn't care," she said simply. "As long as I knew you, Remus, and Emmeline got out safely, I didn't care what happened to me."

"I did," he whispered. "I'm so happy you're all right and that you'll never have to go back there to face any of them again."

She smiled slightly. "You finally got me into hiding."

He moved his hand gently across her cheek and rested it at the base of her neck. "Naomi... there's something I need to tell you."

"What?" she asked quietly.

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to form his thoughts into words, but didn't have a chance to say anything—Emmeline knocked urgently on the bedroom door. Sirius fought the urge to swear and groan loudly.

"Sirius, you need to get to the kitchen," she said in a rush. "Harry's just Flooed in."

"What?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Why?"

Emmeline shook her hear. "I don't know, but he wants to talk to you and Remus."

He turned back to Naomi. "I'll be back." She nodded and scooted away so he could get out of bed. He rushed past Emmeline through the hallway and down the stairs. When he reached the kitchen, Harry looked up from where he'd been trying to avoid Remus' narrowed eyes. "What the hell are you doing here? You know you're not supposed to leave school—"

"I know how we can save Ron," Harry said, interrupting his godfather.

Both Remus and Sirius stared at him. "What?" Remus said a few moments later.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I was thinking about it last night and I think I've got a plan that I know can work."

Sirius exchanged a look with Remus. "Harry, listen, we know you're scared for Ron, but we're taking care of it—"

"You're still in your bloody pajamas!" Harry exploded, standing from the table. "You've both told me you haven't got a damn clue about where to even _begin_ looking for Ron! How are you taking care of it if you're just sitting around?"

"Harry, calm down," Remus said quietly.

"No!" Harry yelled, turning on him. "Tell me, what do you plan on doing to help Ron? He could be _dying_ right now!"

Sirius cautiously approached his godson, unable to recall ever seeing the boy this angry. He gently turned Harry around, expecting a fist in the face, and pushed Harry down into a chair by his shoulders. Sirius knelt in front of him. "Harry, listen to me," he said quietly. "We are doing everything we can, but you've got to understand that things like this take time. No, we have no idea where Ron is, and no, we don't know where to begin. But we're going to get him back, Harry—"

"Will you just shut up and listen to my idea?" Harry snapped, still red in the face from yelling. Sirius and Remus hesitantly nodded. Harry sighed and began quietly. "What if we got someone into Voldemort's hideout? What if Snape could somehow sneak somebody in and that somebody could get Ron out?"

"Harry, how would you get somebody in there without Voldemort or any other Death Eater knowing?" Remus asked patiently. "There are charms and spells and curses in place that would make your head spin, specifically to keep outsiders out. And don't you think somebody would notice a person sneaking around that doesn't belong there?"

"Not if that somebody is small enough to stay out of sight..." Harry said.

"No," Sirius said at once. "Don't even think about it."

"What? You didn't even listen!"

Sirius shook his head and stood. "Let me guess your plan, Harry. You want to go into Voldemort's hideout in your Animagus form, right?" Harry nodded. "Okay, so let's say you get in without being caught. How the hell do you think you'll be able to get out of there with Ron in whatever bad shape he could be in? Not to mention you don't know the first thing about the place. You'll never find your way out."

"If someone told me how to get out, I could," Harry argued. "Look, it's better than anything you've come up with."

Sirius rubbed his hands roughly over his face. "No," he said firmly. "Not going to happen. Just forget it."

"You can't stop me from doing this," Harry said quietly, looking directly into his godfather's eyes. "Voldemort has my best friend, and I'm going to save him. If it had been my dad or Remus that Voldemort had, you'd go after them in a second, and you know it. You wouldn't sit around at school, acting like a good boy, wondering when the news that he'd been killed was going to come."

"That's enough," Sirius said quietly, his voice wavering a bit. "Listen to me, Harry, you're sixteen years old. You may know more than any other wizard your age when it comes to Voldemort, but I'm telling you, you wouldn't make it out of there alive. Voldemort wants you to do exactly what you're thinking about doing. And I will not let you run off to your death. I'm proud that you're willing to go rescue your best friend, Harry, and you're right, I would have done the same thing had it been your father or Remus in Ron's position, but I also never had anybody who loved me enough to discourage me from doing something stupid like this. All I ever had were my friends. They were my brothers, and I would have given my life for any of them. You cannot do this. You're not ready to face Voldemort, Harry. Hell, if I had it my way, you'd never face him. If I had my way, I'd keep you safe and out of danger for the rest of your life."

"But you don't get your way," Harry said. "I do have to face him at some point, but nobody says it has to be now. I could get in and out without him ever knowing I was there." He sighed heavily. "Hermione is at school right now doing nothing. She's barely left her dorm, and she hasn't been to the library once since we went back to school. Ginny's miserable and on the verge of tears just about every other minute, and she never cries. You saw Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and Ron's brothers. What do you think would happen to all of them if Ron died? I can do this... I _want _to do this..."

Sirius' jaw clenched and he started pacing around the kitchen. What more could they say to convince Harry that he had no idea what he was suggesting? Though Sirius didn't want to admit it, Harry was right; the Order had no idea how to save Ron. Harry's idea was the best thing anyone had come up with, even with all the holes in it.

"Harry, it's time you went back to school," Remus said quietly. Sirius nearly forgot he was even in the kitchen—he'd been strangely quiet. "We'll come up to see you after the full moon. Until then, you are to stay in the castle unless you're going to class. If you are caught outside the castle for any reason other than classes or Quidditch, you will be in trouble. A _lot_ of trouble."

Harry glared hard at his guardians as he stood, kicking his chair out of his way. On the way to the fireplace, he muttered things about the older wizards that normally would have had Remus very angry, but right now, the werewolf's face remained completely blank. Harry stepped into the fireplace and called out his destination ("Gryffindor tower, Hogwarts!") and disappeared in a whirl of green flames.

Sirius and Remus turned to look at each other, both at a loss of words over what just happened. "What do you reckon?" Sirius asked, expecting Remus to agree totally with his arguments.

"It'd be a good plan if it were a little more thought out," Remus said. "But you're right, Voldemort would be expecting someone to try and get in."

"And the only way anyone could get in is if a Death Eater took them—only the Death Eaters know how to get there, right? Voldemort would know someone else had betrayed him," Sirius said.

"What if he really could get in and out without getting caught?"

Sirius looked at him incredulously. "You're not honestly considering his plan?" Judging by the look on his face, Remus was indeed considering it. "I don't believe this! You're supposed to be the rational one of us, and I'm the only one thinking this is mental!"

"Do you want to see Ron die?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I don't!"

"Well, if we don't figure something out very soon, he will die. I think Harry could pull this off so long as we plan it very carefully."

Sirius stared at him. "Who the hell are you?" he whispered. "You would really send Harry in there alone?"

"We've got to do something," Remus said quietly.

* * *

The strain between Sirius and Remus grew tighter after Harry returned to school. Remus told Emmeline and Naomi what had happened in the kitchen, and how, afterwards, Sirius stormed out of Headquarters without a word to anybody on where he was going. The two witches were torn between wanting to keep Harry safe and wanting to save Ron Weasley.

Naomi explained the charms and wards used on Voldemort's castle, and she didn't think there was anything that could detect an Animagus. She could draw a map of the place from memory and label nearly every room. There were only a few places Ron would be kept if he was indeed in the castle, and all were heavily guarded at all times unless the Dark Lord called a meeting—in that case, the prisoner was stunned until the guards returned.

"That would be Harry's only chance of getting around without being seen," Naomi told Remus and Emmeline. "And even then, I can't guarantee how long he would have to get out—no more than an hour, I'd imagine. If Ron is badly injured, which I'm sure he is, that's just going to slow Harry down even more."

"But do you think he'd have a chance to get them both out?" Remus asked, leaning on the wall in Naomi's room. Emmeline sat at the desk.

Naomi nodded. "Yes, I think he could," she said quietly. "If he—" She broke off, looking at the bedroom door. Remus turned and saw Sirius standing in the threshold. Remus thought he'd been crying, but he didn't say anything.

Silently, Sirius crossed the room to the bed and sat beside Naomi. "So," he said without looking at any of them. "How are we going to make sure Harry gets out of there alive?"


	19. Nineteen

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Nineteen_

"So Remus actually ran away when you tried to talk to him?" Emmeline asked from a chair beside the Naomi's bed. It was the full moon that night, and Remus had barricaded himself in the library just after dinner. Sirius was somewhere in the house trying to gather the nerve to sneak in and spend the night with the werewolf who didn't exactly like him right now.

Emmeline and Naomi had slowly begun to get past their hostility towards each other and found themselves actually having a pleasant conversation. Neither woman was sure when their mutual animosity had transformed into a casual acquaintance, but neither was really concerned. Emmeline had very awkwardly apologized for accusing Naomi of poisoning Remus, and Naomi had stiffly accepted. After that, they found that they actually could be in a room together without glaring at one another.

"Oh yeah." Naomi smirked, taking a handful of popcorn from the bowl Emmeline held out. "I wasn't even asking him out on a date or anything. I was just asking if I could borrow a quill. Sirius had broken my favorite one. Git. I still need to hit him for that..."

Emmeline laughed. "What year was this again?"

Naomi tried not to laugh. "Fifth."

"You're kidding!" Emmeline said incredulously. Naomi shook her head. "Wow... I was thinking second year."

"Nope. Remus was never good about talking to girls in school. Sirius and James made him go to Hogsmeade with this Hufflepuff girl in fourth year, and Sirius told me later he was sweating so much that he'd had to change his robes four times."

"So how'd they finally get him to ask you out? I assume it was their doing."

"Not really sure how they did it," Naomi said, frowning in thought. "All I know is that James told him he was going to ask me out instead, and later that day, Remus pulled me away from Lily and Julia and asked me, in one breath mind, if I'd like to go to Hogsmeade with him the next week. He was really cute too—his face was bright red, and he was stuttering and stammering all over. It was great. I teased him about it for years."

The two of them laughed for a few minutes before Naomi asked something she'd wondered about for a year. "How'd he get a hold of you?" she asked quietly.

Emmeline smiled, remembering what happened. "Other way around, actually. Christmas Eve, last year, we'd all had a few drinks and there was mistletoe, and it was just too good a chance to ignore."

"Bet he loved that." Naomi grinned. "Did he turn redder than an apple?"

Emmeline nodded. "Yes," she confirmed. Then she sighed happily. "I'd always wondered how good a kisser he was, but my god..."

Naomi laughed. "I know the feeling, dear..."

Emmeline sat back in her chair and sipped her Butterbeer. "I never in a million years would have guessed that you and I would be talking about Remus without wanting to rip each other's throats out."

Naomi snorted. "You're telling me. God, when I first found out about you two, then saw how happy he was with you..."

"You wanted to scratch my eyes out?" Emmeline supplied lightly.

"Very badly." Naomi nodded with a grin. "I was jealous of you, naturally. I spent thirteen years thinking on what I did to him, and what I ruined. You know, I actually thought a few times about going to the cottage and trying and get him back? He'd come into the Leaky Cauldron when I was working—he didn't know this of course—and I'd make excuses about why I couldn't serve him, and I'd run upstairs before he could see me. I was so afraid to face him. I knew he had to hate me, and I still think I deserve to be hated by him.

"And then I saw him at Hogwarts during the Triwizard Tournament, and I saw in his eyes what I'd been afraid to see for all those years." She looked at Emmeline and smiled. "He _never_ looked at me the way he does you, Emmeline. I mean, I know he loved me and all, but it amazes me to see the two of you together. You are the only woman he wants to be with and it shows. When he looks at you, it's like nothing could ever hurt him, like he's invincible. I told him this a few days ago, and now I want to tell you: I am so happy for you. You're both extremely lucky to have each other, and I wish you nothing but the best of luck."

"Thank you," Emmeline said quietly, smiling. "That means a lot, Naomi." They sat in silence for a few minutes, Emmeline still trying to get used to the fact that she was having a conversation with her fiancé's ex-fiancée. "So what about you and Sirius?"

Naomi grinned and blushed a bit. "What about us?"

"Well, have you two ever talked about marriage?"

"Sirius and marriage are two things that don't really go well together. After Julia was killed, I don't think he ever thought about it again."

"Are you in love with him?"

"Yeah, I am," she said quietly. "Another thing I never thought would happen."

"Well, I think you two are great together," Emmeline said simply.

Naomi smiled. "Thanks."

Emmeline winked and held out a box of Chocolate Cauldrons Remus had brought home from her. "Now, if we can just get our two idiots to makeup."

"I'd give them another day. They could never stay mad at each other for long."

* * *

Sirius stared at the closed library door, knowing his best friend was behind it, probably curled up in front of the fire. Remus' transformation had happened at least two hours ago, and Sirius hadn't moved a muscle. He didn't think Remus would hurt him—if he'd wanted to hurt Sirius, he would've done it a week ago. He just didn't know if he could face his best friend.

_Stop being such a girl, Sirius_, said a voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Harry—or maybe it was James...

With a sigh, Sirius reached out a hand to the doorknob and tried to turn it. It was locked. "Figures," he muttered. He took his wand from his back pocket and tapped the lock sharply, and said, "_Alohomora." _Again, he tried the door and groaned aloud. Remus had used something stronger to lock the door that night. "Moony, let me in," he said to the door, feeling like an idiot for telling a werewolf to unlock a door. He tried every counter-charm to locking and Imperturbable Charms he could think of, but was still stuck outside the door.

Just as he gave up and started to walk away, he heard a click behind him. With a raised eyebrow, he turned back, finding the door open a crack. He pushed it open fully and watched Moony stalk back to the fireplace to lie down. Sirius closed the door and took careful steps forward—Remus had taken his Wolfsbane Potion, but he was still dealing with a fully grown (possibly annoyed) werewolf. And it had been nearly six months since Moony and Padfoot spent a full moon together—Sirius hadn't been able to transform into his Animagus form when he'd lost his powers.

Sirius sat on the sofa, looking at the back of the brown-gray wolf on the floor. "Moony," he said quietly. The werewolf turned his head and growled quietly. Sirius sighed. "I'll transform in a minute. Keep your fur on..." Moony glared in a way only a werewolf could and turned away. "Look, I'm sorry for lying to you about Naomi. I could give you a thousand excuses as to why I did it, but I don't think you care." Moony snorted in agreement. "I'm an idiot, and I've never been sorrier about anything in my life. You're my brother in every way but blood, and you know I don't give a damn about blood. So I've done everything I can do. It's all up to you now."

Sirius transformed into Padfoot and lay on the floor facing away from Moony. The werewolf huffed and lightly slapped the dog in the shoulder with a paw. Padfoot turned his head and found a pair of amused blue eyes watching him. Moony rolled his eyes and pushed himself from the floor, his tuft of a tail wagging, and his tongue hanging out. Padfoot stood, somewhat confused, and watched Moony lower his head to the floor, his tail still in the air. It was the position Moony took before—

Moony leapt into the air, knocking Padfoot onto his side. After that, everything was normal between the two canines. They could talk when the moon set, but right now, none of it mattered. They wrestled all over the library, late into the night, unable to remember what they were arguing about.

* * *

The next morning, Sirius woke to the muffled screams of pain caused by Remus' transformation back to human. The Animagus transformed himself and stood from the floor, crossing the library to the desk where Remus' clothes were neatly folded. He took the jeans and boxer shorts from the bottom of the pile and went back to Remus, who was still curled up on the floor, panting and shaking from the efforts of his transformation.

"Remus," Sirius said quietly, kneeling beside his best friend.

Using what was left of his energy, Remus turned around, took the clothes from Sirius, and put them on. Sirius hooked an arm under his and helped him onto the sofa, then sat down beside him. Neither of them said a word while Remus rubbed a knot out of his arm. "You know," he said quietly, not looking at Sirius. "You are an idiot, but you're my idiot, and I'd have it no other way."

Sirius looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "Are you saying we're all right, then?"

"So long as you swear never to lie or go behind my back again."

"Deal," Sirius said, reaching over to pat Remus on the back.

There was a polite knock on the library door, and Emmeline and Naomi entered carrying trays of breakfast. The two wizards exchanged a look. Neither of them had ever seen the witches smile in each other's presence. "Morning, boys," Emmeline greeted them. "We've got breakfast."

"Who are you people?" Sirius asked cautiously as Naomi sat beside him. "And what have you done with our girlfriends?"

"Maybe these two are actually aliens who killed Emmeline and Naomi and took over their bodies," Remus said, scooting over to make room for his fiancée.

"What? We're not allowed to get along?" Naomi asked.

"Not what we're saying," Sirius corrected. "It's just..."

"Odd," Remus finished.

Sirius nodded.

Emmeline and Naomi rolled their eyes at each other. "If you want us to go back to hating each other..." Emmeline began.

"NO!" the two wizards said loudly in unison.

"Okay, then," Naomi said. "Shut up and eat. After breakfast, we need to discuss this plan to save Ron Weasley."

"Yes, the two of you promised Harry you'd go up to Hogwarts after the full moon," Emmeline said, handing Remus a glass of pumpkin juice.

Sirius took a bite of his toast. "So we're really going to do this, then? We're going to let _Harry_ do this?"

"I've come up with an idea that might make it a little less dangerous for Harry," Naomi said. "It's going to take some convincing of a few people, though..."

"Who?" Remus asked suspiciously, noting the mischievous glint in Naomi's eyes.

"Snape, for one," Emmeline said casually. Sirius groaned loudly. "Yes, that's going to be fun. But the other part of Naomi's plan involves Tonks."

"What?" Sirius asked with a raised eyebrow. The two witches grinned at one another. "Oh no," he groaned. "I don't think I like the looks of this, Moony."

"Neither do I," Remus said. "Look, before we get into all these details, are we even sure we know where Ron is?"

"Well, that's partly where Snape comes in," Naomi said. "So hurry up and eat, we need to get to Hogwarts."

Sirius turned to her. "You're not going to Hogwarts," he told her.

Naomi raised an eyebrow and Remus winced—he knew that look. "Excuse me?"

Sirius sat his plate on the coffee table. "Naomi, you're supposed to be in hiding. You were nearly _killed_ two weeks ago, and it doesn't exactly do you any good to leave your hiding place when every Death Eater _and_ Voldemort is after you."

"I appreciate your concern, Sirius," she said evenly. "But we're going to _Hogwarts_, not to, say, London. And I haven't got a big sign on me saying 'Hey, Voldemort! I'm right here! Come get me!' I'll be fine."

"You're not leaving this house," Sirius said quietly.

Naomi narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes, I am," she practically growled. "And I don't give a damn if you like it or not. Enjoy your breakfast, Remus." Without another word, Naomi stood and left the library angrily.

Sirius glared after her, tossing his toast back to the tray. "What's her problem?" he muttered.

"Sirius," Remus began cautiously. "You should know that Naomi doesn't like to be told what to do—she's a lot like you in that aspect."

"I'm doing it to keep her safe!" Sirius yelled. "I don't want to see her hurt again!"

"But she has a point," Emmeline said. "We are going to Hogwarts. It's the safest place she could be besides here."

Sirius shook his head. "You don't get it," he murmured before following Naomi's footsteps out of the library.

Emmeline turned to Remus. "What don't I get?'

"I think this goes back to Julia," he said quietly. "He wasn't able to keep her from being killed, nor was he able to save Hestia, so he wants to do everything possible to keep Naomi from getting hurt again."

* * *

The fireplace in Headmaster Dumbledore's office filled with bright green flames an hour later, and four of his former students stepped out of the grate one after another. Naomi looked to have recovered completely from her injuries, much to Dumbledore's relief; she did, however, seem to be rather annoyed with one of her companions. Dumbledore's original thought was that she and Emmeline had had another row, but to his surprise, he soon discovered that Naomi's irritation seemed to be with Sirius—a conclusion the older wizard came to after seeing the Auror's equally angry face.

"Good morning," Dumbledore greeted them as they sat before him. "How did your evening go last night, Remus?"

"Very well, Albus, thank you," Remus said with a smile as he and Emmeline sat in the armchairs in front of his desk. Naomi and Sirius took opposite ends of the sofa. "We wanted to talk to you about this plan Harry's come up with for rescuing Ron Weasley. Naomi is almost positive Ron is in Voldemort's castle, or lair, or whatever he's calling it. She's even drawn up a very detailed map of this place, and Sirius and I think we've figured out where it is."

Dumbledore sat back in his high-backed chair, his fingers crossed under his chin. "And what is it you wish to do with this information?" he asked quietly.

Sirius sighed. "We want to send Harry in," he said in a tone that suggested the words cost him everything to say. "He can do it, and I think he's the only one who can."

Dumbledore nodded. "What is your plan?"

* * *

In the very back of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Harry sat beside Hermione. Both of them had glazed looks in their eyes. Neither had paid a bit of attention to what Snape was saying as they reviewed dark creatures; they stared at the empty chair in between them that Ron should have occupied.

Harry's head rested on the palm of his hand while his free hand used tapped his quill quietly against the edge of the desk. He hadn't slept a wink the night before due to his doubled worries of Ron and Remus. Ron was, of course, Harry's top priority at the moment, and he spent just about every waking hour finalizing his plans to save his best friend. His guardians may not be concerned with Ron's life, but if something like this had happened when they were in school, to say James, Remus and Sirius wouldn't have listened to anyone who told them to stay out of it. They would have left the moment they heard their friend was in danger.

"Potter," Snape snapped from the front of the room. Harry started and lifted his head from his hand. "Since Potter doesn't see the need to pay attention, perhaps he could familiarize the class with the features of the werewolf. Tell me, Potter, do you know how to tell a werewolf from the true wolf?"

Harry resisted the strong urge to roll his eyes, but just barely. Judging by the malicious glint in Snape's eyes, he already knew the answer to this. "Yes," he said stiffly.

"Yes, _sir_."

"No need to call me sir, Professor." Harry was aware a little too late that his godfather had probably had a bad influence on him, after all. But much like Sirius, Harry didn't back down from Snape's sneer or cold glare.

Before Harry knew it, the Defense professor had moved from the front of the room to his desk as though he'd Apparated. Snape's greasy face was now mere inches from Harry. "_What did you say to me, Potter_."

Harry thought for only a split second on what he was going to say. If he was going to get detention, he may as well really earn it. "Sorry, Professor," Harry said coldly. "I wasn't aware all that grease in your hair obstructed your hearing. Shall I repeat myself?"

"_Why you little_—" Snape snarled.

"Professor Snape," said a sharp voice from the door.

Snape and Harry snapped their heads in that direction to find McGonagall watching their every move. "Potter has been summoned to the Headmaster's office. He's to report there immediately. That means now, Severus," she added when Snape's sneer only intensified.

Harry stood and grabbed his school bag from the floor, and followed McGonagall out of the classroom, ignoring Snape's call that he had detention on Saturday night.

"Do I even want to know what happened, Potter?" McGonagall asked crisply as they walked down the corridor.

"No, Professor, you don't," Harry said tonelessly.

"Very well."

They walked through the quiet corridors and made it to the Headmaster's office just as the bell rang, signaling the beginning of lunch. Upon entering the office, Harry felt his stomach sink to his feet to find his guardians, Emmeline, and Naomi sitting calmly before Dumbledore.

"Before we begin, Headmaster," McGonagall said in a wary voice as she closed the door, "I thought you ought to be informed that Potter has received a detention from Professor Snape."

Remus dropped his head into his hands. "Did you have to start something with him today, Harry?" he asked, his voice muffled.

"He started it!" Harry exclaimed.

"Please don't," Sirius said quietly. "This is not the best time for you to act like me."

Harry raised an eyebrow at his godfather. Sirius hadn't even grinned when McGonagall had announced he had a detention with Snape. "What's going on?"

"Harry, I'd like to see you in your Animagus form, if you don't mind," Dumbledore said as though speaking about Quidditch scores.

Harry looked, startled, between his Headmaster and his guardians. He didn't think anyone else but his friends and family knew he was an Animagus. Was he going to be arrested for illegal activity?

"It's all right, Harry," Remus said calmly. "Show them."

Harry sighed and nodded, closing his eyes tightly and concentrating on his body shrinking to its small round form, the golden feathers, and that stupid black one that was shaped like his scar. With a small _pop_, Dumbledore's study grew to be several times larger than it had been. The Headmaster stood from his desk, approaching the small golden snidget slowly. Very gently, Dumbledore picked Harry up with his withered hands and examined the bird closely. Harry could see the twinkle in his eyes magnified as Dumbledore brought him closer to his face.

"I think this will work perfectly," he said quietly to Sirius and Remus before placing Harry back on the floor. "You may change back, my boy."

Harry did so and turned to see Professor McGonagall's reaction. The Deputy Headmistress looked at him as sternly as ever. "And how is it, Potter, that you're only achieving an Acceptable in my class?"

Harry smiled sheepishly at her. He moved forward as Dumbledore led him to sit beside Remus.

Once he was in his own chair, Dumbledore leaned forward on his desk. "Your guardians tell me that you are determined to rescue Ronald Weasley. Now, before you say anything," he added when Harry opened his mouth. "I want you to understand the danger of what it is you are suggesting. Nobody without the Dark Mark has ever infiltrated this place Lord Voldemort calls his hideout. And the chances of getting out alive are scarce. If I am to agree to the plan your family has presented me, I must ask you for your word that you will abide by every rule set to you by any one of us. You will be entirely on your own in this, Harry, and it is not only your life that depends on your success."

Harry gulped and looked at Sirius and Remus who had never looked more afraid in all the time Harry had known them. "Yeah, anything," he said quietly.

"Swear to me, Harry," Dumbledore said sternly.

Harry nodded. "I swear, sir." He couldn't look to his left as he heard Sirius let out a very shaky sigh.

Dumbledore inclined his head. "Now, then, on to business," he said briskly. "It has been confirmed that Mr. Weasley is indeed in Voldemort's lair. He has been injured, but not so severely that he is in danger of dying in the near future. Voldemort has kept Mr. Weasley alive and mostly unharmed in the hopes that Harry will come after him."

"If he knows I'm coming," Harry began slowly, his brow furrowed, "how will I get in without him knowing?"

"That will indeed be the trick. I believe you suggested hiding in the pocket of our spy in your Animagus form?"

"It was a last minute idea—" Harry said hastily.

"But a strangely brilliant one," Dumbledore cut him off, his eyes twinkling slightly. "The enemy will not suspect it. Naomi and Emmeline have added to this plan—they thought it wise to have a decoy, someone to keep the Death Eaters occupied while you search for Mr. Weasley. Miss Tonks will be asked to act as your double. If she agrees, she will take on your exact appearance."

"But how's _she_ going to get in there with Harry?" Sirius asked.

"Leave that to me," Dumbledore said with a mysterious smile.

Sirius looked at Remus. "Now I know why you never liked me or James saying that...


	20. Twenty

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty_

For the next few days, Harry would leave just after his lessons ended and Floo back to Number Twelve, where he and his guardians would go over and over the plan to save Ron. The other students thought he was just meeting with Dumbledore every night until two in the morning, which is when he'd stumble back to his dorm for rest before the next day's classes.

Sirius and Remus, in the meantime, were trying to charm the map Naomi had drawn of Voldemort's castle to show the Death Eaters they knew of, and some Naomi told them about, as they had with the Marauder's Map. Snape hadn't been too keen on the plan, but after Emmeline pulled him out of the room where the two Marauders were working, he finally, reluctantly, agreed.

"I don't even _want_ to know how she got him to agree to this," Sirius muttered to Remus, looking at the triumphant grin on Emmeline's face when she finished talking to the Order spy. Remus clipped him in the back of the head.

Tonks agreed immediately, even enthusiastically, to her part in the plan, and even started walking around Number Twelve as Harry, scar and all. She'd even gone so far as to charm her voice to sound like the teenage boy's. Sirius told his friends confidentially that it was rather creepy to have a copy of his godson strolling about the place.

"Just shows you how easily it would be to impersonate someone," Remus said gravely.

"And she doesn't even need Polyjuice Potion," Emmeline agreed. "If someone put Imperius on her—"

"It'll never happen," Sirius interrupted confidently. "During Auror training, we put the candidates under Imperius to see how well they fight it off... Tonks was the best of the lot."

"Well, that's comforting," Naomi said, sitting beside Sirius at the table. "So how're you two doing on this map?"

Sirius snorted. "Not too well... It seems Snakeface has got his place charmed to keep people from doing exactly what we're trying to do."

"I've tried everything." Remus sighed. "Harry's just going to have to look around corners to make sure it's clear..."

"The two of you could charm a map of the entire country to show the location of Order members, but you can't get one castle to show up?" Emmeline asked skeptically. "Not to mention, you made a map of Hogwarts, which, according to Albus Dumbledore, should be impossible; but you did that when you were fifteen—"

"Sixteen," Remus and Sirius corrected automatically.

"Whatever. Anyway, there's got to be a way to do this," Emmeline concluded.

"Well, dearest Emmeline, if you've got a better idea, we'd love to hear it," Sirius said, sitting back in his chair and sipping a Butterbeer.

"It just so happens, I do," she said lightly. The two wizards raised an eyebrow. "If this past Christmas taught us anything, it's that there's always a backdoor through charms and wards. Now, what is the one thing that connects all Death Eaters?"

"A need for psychological help?" Sirius guessed. "Ow," he added when Naomi backhanded him. "I didn't mean you... I was thinking Bellatrix, Greyback, and Malfoy—"

"Or Snape?" Remus added. Sirius nodded brightly.

"No, you idiots," Emmeline said. "The Dark Mark." Sirius and Remus looked at her blankly. Emmeline sighed. "The Dark Mark connects all Death Eaters to Voldemort, right?"

The wizards looked to Naomi for the answer. "The answer is yes," she whispered loudly.

"Yes," they said, turning back to Emmeline.

"Right..." she said slowly as though wondering about their intelligence. "So if there was someway to copy the spell Voldemort uses for the Dark Mark to this map, maybe it would bypass all of Voldemort's wards."

Sirius and Remus looked at each other thoughtfully for a few moments before Remus leaned over and kissed Emmeline's cheek. "That's why I love you," he smiled.

"Me too," Sirius said, kissing Emmeline's other cheek.

"Hey," Naomi said huffily.

"Oh right," Sirius said, kissing her cheek. "Sorry, love."

Naomi rolled her eyes. "Somebody please tell me why I put up with him," she said in exasperation.

"He's cute?" Emmeline guessed.

"No, that can't possibly be it." Remus grinned, ducking the cork Sirius threw at him. "Alright," he added to Emmeline once he stopped laughing. "How do you suggest we do this?"

"Well, first we need a Dark Mark. May I, Naomi?" Naomi rolled up the sleeve of her shirt and held out her left forearm for Emmeline. "Now, we've got to figure out the spell Voldemort uses to connect himself to the Death Eaters." She took her wand from the pocket of her Ministry robes and touched the tip of it to the black skull on Naomi's arm. "This might hurt a little," she warned the other witch. Naomi nodded, bracing herself.

Sirius and Remus leaned over the table to watch as Emmeline began to quietly mutter a spell none of them had ever heard. After a minute or so, Naomi hissed in pain and bit her lip, her eyes watering. The tip of Emmeline's wand glowed black and seemed to suck something from Naomi's arm. By the time she finished the charm some minutes later, the Dark Mark on Naomi's arm had faded to a light-gray color—the black returned moments later, much to Naomi's annoyance. Without a word of explanation, Emmeline touched her wand to the map in the center of the table and muttered another charm. A thick black smoke shot from Emmeline's wand and disappeared into the parchment. The map seemed to vibrate a little, and when it was done, they could see tiny black dots walking through the corridors on the map. Slowly but surely, small bubbles appeared beside the dots with names of all the Death Eaters currently in Lord Voldemort's hideout.

"Bloody hell!" Sirius exclaimed loudly, pointing at a dot labeled '_Tom Riddle.'_ "How did you know to do that?" he demanded.

Emmeline grinned as she used a cooling charm on Naomi's burning arm. "There were a few advantages to dating Severus Snape..." The other three looked at her with disbelieving raised eyebrows. "What?" she said to them. "He taught me a few things. Most of it was Dark Magic, but you've got to admit it's useful."

"I don't have to admit anything," Sirius said defiantly. "Except that you're scary sometimes."

Remus quickly turned his laugh into a cough, but still earned a punch in the arm from his fiancée.

* * *

The next night, halfway through a midnight chess game between Sirius and Remus, the kitchen fireplace filled with green flames. Albus Dumbledore stepped out gracefully, followed closely by Severus Snape, with Harry Potter bringing up the rear. The somewhat cheerful mood in the kitchen evaporated instantly with three quiet words from the Headmaster: "It is time."

The reactions of Harry's family varied: Sirius closed his eyes suddenly and tightly as though he'd been slapped in the face; Remus sat back in his chair, his expression completely blank; Naomi bit her lip, grasping at her left forearm—the Dark Mark was burning; and Emmeline didn't seem to know what to do.

"We have fifteen minutes," Dumbledore said. "Miss Tonks has been contacted and will be arriving shortly. In the meantime, we must prepare."

Sirius quickly stood from the table and left the kitchen, unable to look at his godson at the moment. The boy looked questioningly to Remus who could only shrug slightly before beckoning him to the table where Naomi was unrolling the map he'd be taking along with him.

"Whoa," Harry breathed, looking at the dots. "How'd you do that?" he asked Naomi.

She smiled. "Talk to Emmeline."

Remus spotted Snape looking over their heads at the map Emmeline charmed, and then saw him glance at the witch standing at the kitchen counter. Remus cleared his throat quietly. "You must only use this when you're absolutely positive you're alone. It's going to be bad enough you're in there, but if you get caught with this... well, it won't be nice." Harry nodded pensively. "Are you nervous?" Remus asked him quietly so that the others couldn't hear him.

"Wouldn't you be?" Harry muttered.

Remus put an arm around Harry's shoulder and bent down a little. "I'd be wetting myself if I were you," he said into Harry's ear. The boy laughed and Remus winked.

The fireplace lit up again, and Dumbledore caught Tonks as she fell out of the grate. "Wotcher, all," she said brightly. "How long do we have?"

"Ten minutes." Dumbledore smiled at her.

Emmeline turned from the counter holding what looked like brown leather bracelets with small medallions in them. She handed one each to Tonks and Harry. "Preset portkeys," she explained, helping Harry put one on his left wrist. "In exactly sixty minutes, whether you've got Ron or not, these will activate and take both of you to the Hogwarts hospital wing. In addition to all that, the medallions will render you invisible to the wards and charms—thank Naomi and Severus for that."

"What happens if I don't have Ron in an hour?" Harry asked, examining the small gold coin embedded in the leather.

Emmeline sighed and looked at Remus. "Harry, we've got only one shot to get Ron out of there safely," Remus said quietly. "If that portkey goes off before you get to him..."

"They'll kill him," Harry finished in a whisper.

"They might."

Harry sighed and set his jaw determinedly. "All right. What else do I have to do?"

"You're going in there in your Animagus form," Remus said. "Naomi says the corridor ceilings are high, and you're small enough to stay out of sight—"

"Don't remind me," Harry murmured.

Remus smiled slightly. "Tonks is going to keep the Death Eaters occupied while you search for Ron. How she's going to do that, only she knows." Tonks smiled innocently. "You'll have your wand, of course, should you need it." Remus was going on about things Harry had heard dozens of times over the last few days, he knew, but he felt that if he stopped talking, something very bad would happen. It was bad enough that Harry had to hide in Snape's pocket in his Animagus form, but once he was in there, Harry would be surrounded by every Death Eater in the world without his guardians' protection.

When Remus looked up from where he'd been studying the map, he had to rub at his eyes—there were two identical Harry Potters standing in front of him. "Sirius was right," he said casually. "That is creepy."

With five minutes remaining, Sirius finally returned to the kitchen looking strangely pale. He looked between his godson and the impersonator Tonks—though neither he nor Remus knew who was who. "Which one of you is my godson?" he asked flatly.

The one on the right raised his hand, and Sirius gestured for him to come to a corner of the kitchen. "Everyone else has given you something to help you, and I couldn't figure out what I could do short of going instead of you. But then I remembered this," Sirius said quickly and quietly, reaching into his pocket and pulling something out. "Your dad gave this to me when we were fifteen. You've got more use for it right now than I do, so it's yours." He pressed what looked to be an ordinary pocketknife into Harry's palm. "It's a penknife that will unlock any door and undo any knot. Use it well, Harry, and take care of yourself."

Harry nodded, his jaw still clenched, his own face somewhat pale. "I will."

Sirius tried to smile, but couldn't even lift a corner of his mouth. "We'll see you in an hour, then," he said hoarsely, hugging Harry tightly.

"Come, Harry, it is time," Dumbledore said quietly, reluctant to break up godfather and godson.

Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he crossed the kitchen to the headmaster. With one last look at his guardians, he transformed into the only golden snidget any of them had ever seen with emerald green eyes. Snape's face was expressionless as he carefully reached out to catch Harry, placing the bird in the pocket of his robes. Sirius heartbeat quickened as he tried to suppress the urge to stop this whole thing right now. Remus had obviously read his mind, and placed a hand on his shoulder, but instead of being reassured like he usually was with Remus by his side, Sirius still felt completely helpless. He saw Dumbledore's lips moving, but whatever he was saying, the Head Auror couldn't hear it—it felt like somebody had turned off all the sound in the room. His breath caught in his throat as the Tonks-Harry grabbed onto Snape's arm, just above the burning Dark Mark. Using his right hand, Snape touched the Mark with his wand, and with a final nod to Dumbledore, they all disappeared.

Sirius stared fearfully at the spot where Snape had once stood, and slowly turned to face Remus. "What the hell did we just do?" he asked quietly.

Remus' face was blank as he looked at the same spot. "He'll be okay," he said hoarsely as though trying to convince himself as much as Sirius.

"We should return to Hogwarts," Dumbledore said to the remaining four in the kitchen. "Molly and Arthur will be arriving there shortly."

* * *

Harry tried to hold his breath in the dark, smelly confines of Snape's robes, but when they'd Apparated to wherever they were going, he couldn't hold it anymore. He realized that this had to be the most embarrassing position he'd ever been in, and knew that Sirius—once he calmed down after all this was over—would never let him live it down.

Snape opened a door and began to walk slowly, muttering something to Tonks. Soon after, Tonks muttered what sounded like a Disillusionment charm. Another door opened, and Snape finally opened the flap of his pocket. "Go, Potter," he said, barely above a whisper.

Harry didn't need to be told twice—a first when it came to dealing with Severus Snape—and flew out of the pocket, up to the ceiling, and down a corridor. Just before he turned a corner, he heard Snape grunt in pain. He turned on his wings and saw his professor grasping his knee. Had Tonks just kicked him?

"Keep going, Harry," he heard Tonks say quietly in his voice from directly below him as her footsteps moved past him.

Harry turned the corner and continued down the stone corridor, the only light coming from black flame torches mounted to the wall every few feet. The air around him was freezing cold, and if he hadn't been in his Animagus form, Harry knew he'd be able to see his breath in a thick fog. _Should have brought a sweater along for Ron_, he thought vaguely as he flew. _He's probably freezing..._

A door opened in the same hall Harry was in, and he hastily moved into the shadows. Bellatrix Lestrange and another witch were walking quickly in the direction Harry had just come from. They were having a muttered conversation.

"...furious," Lestrange said harshly. "How could she have escaped if nobody helped her? I've told you before of my suspicions of Severus Snape."

"But the Dark Lord trusts him, Bella," the other witch said. "The Dark Lord..." Their conversation faded as they turned a corner.

Harry waited a moment to be sure the coast was clear, and he saw two red jets of light, one right after the other, shoot out after Lestrange and the other. There were two dull _thuds_ and rushed footsteps, followed by a light blue glow. Curious, Harry quickly flew back to the corner to see Lestrange and the other Death Eater disappear.

"It's all right," he heard Tonks say. She'd heard the rapid flapping of his tiny wings. "Sent them to Azkaban where they belong."

Suddenly, Harry understood Tonks' role in all this: She wasn't there just as a decoy, she was arresting Death Eaters. Harry took off quietly, in case someone came looking for the members missing from the Death Eater meeting, choosing the opposite direction that Tonks was going. He had no idea where he was going—he'd been instructed by Naomi not to transform out of his Animagus form until he'd been there for fifteen minutes, just to be sure all the Death Eaters were in the meeting room.

He tried not to think of what would happen if he was caught—getting caught was not an option. Instead, he thought about all the good things that would happen when he, Ron, and Tonks got back to Hogwarts. Life could get back to normal. Hermione wouldn't be so miserable anymore—maybe she and Ron would stop arguing long enough to get together (finally). Ron could finish his Animagus transformation. They could get back to Quidditch and their goal to win the House Cup for the third year running—that would put them on McGonagall's good side. And when school ended for summer, Remus and Emmeline would be married.

Harry tried to prepare himself to find Ron in the worst condition imaginable, remembering what Remus had looked like when he was brought to Hogwarts from France. But Madam Pomfrey had healed all of Remus' injuries, and she would do the same with Ron. In a week or two, Ron would be back in classes. Harry wondered if the Weasleys would still stay at the Burrow after all this. If they did, they'd probably have Aurors stationed around their property day and night for the next few months.

Harry turned a corner and landed in the shadows, transforming out of his Animagus form. He took the map Naomi made from his robe pocket and tried to look at it in the dark. Somewhere down the corridor he heard panicked voices, and wondered if Tonks was all right.

While trying to listen to the commotion, Harry failed to hear the noises approaching him. When he finally did realize he wasn't alone, he stifled a scream and backed up against the wall, his wand out and pointed to the floor.

* * *

The walls of the Hogwarts hospital wing seemed to be closing in on Sirius. All of the Weasleys had arrived at the school just after he, Remus, Emmeline, and Naomi had Flooed in with Dumbledore. Even Ginny and Hermione had been awoken by Professor McGonagall and were filled in on what was happening. Sirius was rather surprised at the girls' reactions—neither of them seemed to have any idea about what Harry had been doing for the past few days. For the first time ever, Harry had listened to his guardians when they told him he couldn't tell anybody about this. Remus hadn't said a word since their arrival at Hogwarts. Currently, he was standing at a window, staring out into the snowy night. Sirius crossed the room and stood beside him.

"All right, Moony?" he asked quietly.

Remus nodded. "You?"

Sirius shrugged. "Not as bad as I could be, I suppose." He glanced down at Remus' clenched fist, where a gold chain hung. "What's that?"

Remus pulled up his hand and opened his fist to reveal the pocket watch Emmeline had given him last Christmas. He pressed a button at the top to open it. Sirius' hand was on 'Hospital,' while Harry's was on 'Mortal Peril'.

"It moved from 'Home' just after he Portkeyed, or however the Dark Mark works. Been on 'Mortal Peril' since," Remus told him.

"What kind of parents are we, sending him into a place like that? Lily and James are probably turning over in their graves," Sirius said.

Remus smiled humorlessly, looking back out the window. "We can't protect him forever, you know."

"Watch me." Sirius turned and sat on the window ledge, looking over to where Emmeline and Naomi sat, talking quietly. Across from them, gathered around an empty hospital bed, were the Weasleys and Hermione. None of them looked at each other, but Sirius could make out traces of hope on their faces. For their sake, he hoped Harry brought Ron back safe and sound—he wasn't naïve enough to think Ron would be completely unmarked.

"Sirius, can I ask you something?" Remus asked.

Sirius slowly pulled his eyes away from the Weasleys to look at his best friend. "Yeah, sure, what's up?"

Remus seemed to hesitate. "This probably isn't the best time for this, but I've been meaning to ask your opinion on something." Sirius nodded for him to go on, and he glanced at Emmeline before speaking again. "Do you think I'd make a good father?"

Sirius was taken aback by the question, but answered, "Yeah, you'd make a great father. I've never seen anyone as good with kids as you." Remus smiled softly, still watching Emmeline. Sirius raised an eyebrow, looking between the couple. "She's not pregnant, is she?"

"Huh?" Remus said, turning back to Sirius. "No, no... not yet, anyway. I was just wondering what you thought."

Sirius thought this was a rather odd conversation to have at the moment, considering the circumstances, but if Remus wanted to take his mind off it this way, Sirius was happy to comply—he wanted to get his mind off it, too. "So you two are planning on kids, then?" he asked.

Remus nodded, still smiling. "We both want them at some point. It'd be nice having kids around again, now that Harry's mostly grown and ready to be out on his own. And both Emmeline and I have good jobs, so money really isn't the issue it was a few years ago—for me, anyway. I guess the only thing we've got to worry about is—" He broke off, his smile fading, and his eyes clouding over.

"What?" Sirius prompted.

Remus sighed, hesitating again. "Well, what if our children inherit my... _condition_?" he asked quietly. "I couldn't put Emmeline or them through that..."

Sirius could see his point. Remus had always been rather paranoid about infecting another person with his Lycanthropy, especially before the Wolfsbane Potion. If his children ended up with the same curse, Remus would be crushed. "There's always a chance they won't, though; I've read about it."

Remus gave him an odd look. "Since when do you read?" he asked.

Sirius shrugged. "I have my moments. I was bored and I found a copy of an old _Daily Prophet_ lying around," he said dismissively. "Anyway, the article I read said that if one parent is a werewolf, but the other isn't, there's about a thirty percent chance their children won't be."

"But with my luck, Emmeline and I would be in the other seventy percent," Remus muttered.

"Have you talked to her about this?"

Remus shook his head. "I'm kind of afraid to, actually," he admitted. "She knows about what I am, and the dangers of it, but I don't know that she's thought about the chances of our children turning out the same way."

"She's a smart bird, I'm sure she's thought about it. But she's obviously not concerned about what you are once a month. So I highly doubt she's going to leave you if you told her the chances of your children being werewolves."

"No, I don't think she'd leave me either. I'm just worried that she'll have second thoughts on having children with me."

"Like the thoughts you're having now?" Sirius asked wryly. "If you want, I can talk to Ted; he can probably tell you what your chances are..."

Remus nodded. "That might not be a bad idea, actually..." He sighed and looked around the hospital wing again. "How much time do we have?"

Sirius looked at his watch. "We're just past the thirty minute mark. Hopefully Harry's nearly there. I don't know how much longer I can wait."

* * *

A large snake reared up in front of Harry, and the boy recognized it almost immediately—he'd seen it ten years ago, when he was tied to that tombstone and Wormtail was trying to bring Voldemort back. Thinking quickly, Harry quietly said, "_Stupefy_," and the snake collapsed to the cold stone floor, unconscious. Hoping nobody saw the jet of red light, Harry cautiously slipped past the snake and down the corridor, glancing over his shoulder every so often as he went.

"_Lumos_," he muttered, unable to see the map in the dark light. The faint glow from his wand was more than enough for him to make out the name just behind a door that, from what he could tell, was just a few long strides in front of him:

'_Ronald Weasley_'


	21. Twenty One

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-One_

Tonks hadn't had so much fun in months. Currently, she was hiding, Disillusioned, behind a tall pillar just outside what she assumed to be the room where the Death Eaters and Voldemort were meeting. She wasn't stupid enough to go in, knowing she'd be outnumbered at least fifty to one, but she'd already stunned and transported five Death Eaters to the Ministry where a few of the more trusted Aurors waited on Sirius' orders. If she'd known it would be this bloody easy to catch Death Eaters, she would've done it months ago.

The only captured Death Eater really worth a damn was Tonks' dear Auntie Bellatrix—she was at the top of Sirius' most wanted list, just behind Lucius Malfoy, whom she'd yet to see unfortunately. If she could capture Malfoy, nobody could ever say she was just a clumsy jinx anymore. And just capturing Bellatrix almost guaranteed promotion under Sirius' command. Add that to the other few Death Eaters she'd captured...

Tonks stiffened and shrunk back into the shadows as she heard a cold voice call out "Find them!" followed by hurried footsteps. She pointed her wand at the door as it burst open, wondering if she'd be discovered if she started stunning the Death Eaters as they passed her. Tonks grinned mischievously, causing her to resemble her cousin Sirius remarkably, as an idea formed in her head. She thought hard about her Aunt Bella's appearance, closed her eyes tightly, and felt the change—her hair, formerly short and untidy and exactly like Harry's, lengthened a good deal; her face felt sunken and she grew taller. Quickly, she pulled off the round-rimmed glasses she wore to act Harry's double and stuck them into her pocket. Still Disillusioned, she followed the Death Eaters down the dark corridor and hid in a passage to finish her transformation. She whispered a voice changing charm, pointing her wand at her throat, before taking off the Disillusionment charm. Finally, she transfigured her dark blue Ministry robes to plain black ones and stepped out of the shadows. She was met immediately by Antonin Dolohov.

"Bellatrix!" he whispered loudly. "Where have you been? The Dark Lord is furious!"

Hoping to Merlin she'd done the charms correctly, she answered, "Harry Potter is here! He cursed me from behind and ran off that way." She pointed in the opposite direction she'd last seen Harry go. "I believe he's come to rescue the Weasley boy."

Dolohov looked as though Christmas had come early. "Come, we must inform the Dark Lord," he said, turning on his heel to go back to the meeting room.

Once his back was turned, the Auror-in-disguise cast a non-verbal stunning spell and approached the fallen Death Eater. "This is for Mad-Eye," she said quietly, kicking Dolohov in the gut before murmuring a transportation charm. Dolohov disappeared a second later.

Feeling excited again, Tonks quickly glanced at her watch—she and Harry had fifteen minutes to accomplish their missions. If Harry found Ron before time was up, all he had to do was cast _Portus_ on the bracelet Emmeline had given him to get them back to Hogwarts. She wondered how Harry was doing—so long as the Death Eaters didn't catch up to him, everything should be fine.

* * *

Harry wasted no time when he saw his best friend's name on the map; he ran to the door and tried to wrench it open—it was locked. Well, that was to be expected; Voldemort wouldn't exactly leave a captive in a room with the door wide open. Harry hastily began to rattle off every unlocking charm Remus had shown him before he'd come to this place—one of them had to work.

"Damn," he cursed quietly when he reached the end of his list; the door was still locked. Okay, so Remus' way didn't work. It was time to take a page from Sirius' book. He stood back away from the door, hoping Ron was at the far end of the room, and firmly said, "_Reducto_!"

Still nothing. Feeling disheartened, Harry looked around him for a sign of what he should do. Then he remembered Sirius handing him something before he'd left on his mission, and reached into the pocket of his robes for the penknife. Grinning, Harry took two long strides to the door, flipped open the blade, and carefully ran it in the crack of the lock and the doorframe. He only had to wait a second until he heard a faint _click_ that meant it had worked.

"Thank you, Sirius," Harry said, still grinning as he pushed open the door.

One look around the dark room was all it took to locate Ron huddled in a corner, unconscious. Laughing slightly in relief, and wondering how it was this easy, Harry went to his best friend's side, ignoring the bruises and cuts and potentially broken bones for now. He pulled Ron carefully into a sitting position and checked his neck for a pulse, just like Remus had shown him years ago—it was a little faint, and sometimes erratic, but it was definitely there. Harry got a better hold around Ron's middle with his left arm while he used his right to tap his bracelet sharply with his wand. "_Portus_," he muttered, thinking about the Hogwarts hospital wing.

They were going home.

* * *

Five minutes until Harry and Tonks' portkeys were due to activate, those in the hospital wing were beginning to worry worse than ever. Sirius was sitting with Naomi, biting his nails, while Emmeline watched Remus pace nervously. Most of the Weasleys were pale, and Hermione's face was buried somewhere in her hands and hair. Not surprisingly, the only person in the room who showed no signs of worry was Dumbledore. The headmaster's calm, almost disturbingly peaceful expression helped to drain some of the tense atmosphere from the room, and everyone hoped his face stayed that way in the next few minutes.

"Two minutes," someone said quietly—their voice seemed to echo through the room as though they'd shouted.

Remus sighed shakily, feeling his legs were getting to the point of being unsupportive. He turned and walked to where Emmeline sat on a hospital bed. She took his hand and pulled him to sit beside her, opening her mouth to say something. But she was cut off by three very welcomed _thuds_ of someone entering the hospital wing by portkey. Everyone practically sprinted to gather around the three new arrivals, but were pushed aside by Madam Pomfrey. The nurse forced Harry to relinquish his grip on Ron so she could float him to an empty bed. Sobbing, Molly followed her, with the rest of her family right at her heels. Ron's bed was immediately blocked off by the redheads and Hermione.

Sirius wasted no time in pulling his godson from the floor and into a bone crushing hug. Remus was too busy grinning in relief at Harry to notice who else was in the room. Not until Emmeline poked him on the arm and nodded to the floor did he look. Sitting there cross-legged and grinning was Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Er, Sirius," Remus said in slight confusion.

Sirius finally looked away from Harry for the first time in minutes and jumped. "What the hell?" he yelled.

Lestrange fell over laughing at the Head Auror's reaction. When she sat up again, she was revealed to have spiky orange hair and a heart-shaped face. It was Tonks. "You should have seen your face," the young witch said, still snickering in Bellatrix Lestrange's voice.

Sirius raised an eyebrow at her. "Do I even want to know?"

By this time, Dumbledore had joined the group, watching Tonks' struggle to stop laughing. "Oh, believe me," she said earnestly. "You want to know."

Remus shook his head, still smiling, and looked at Harry. "What about me?" he said to the boy.

Harry grinned and pulled away from Sirius to hug Remus. Emmeline had her turn next while Sirius listened to Tonks tell him who she'd captured. "Bellatrix _and_ Dolohov?" he asked dazedly. "Bloody hell... if you'd gotten Malfoy... Oh well, there's always next time. Brilliant job, Nymphy!"

"How about you, Harry? How'd you do?" Naomi asked, smiling at Sirius' excitement.

Harry went into his own story and Remus couldn't ever remember being more proud of him. He'd done something that most grown wizards would be scared out of their skin to even think about, and he'd come back with nothing but a bit of dust on his robes. When he got to the part about Nagini the snake, Sirius chuckled, muttering about having done the same thing years ago.

"Nice one," Naomi said approvingly. "Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to stun that bloody thing?"

Sirius laughed as Harry told them about the door to where Ron was being kept. "Well, at least you tried a Reductor Curse." He grinned. "But the knife worked, then?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "Only took about a second."

"That's my boy," Sirius said proudly, pulling Harry into a one-armed hug.

Luckily, Remus cast a privacy spell around the group earlier on—he didn't think the Weasleys would want to hear their loud conversation just yet. An hour later, Dumbledore excused himself to inform McGonagall and Hagrid, who were waiting for news on Harry, Ron, and Tonks. Sirius also stood to leave; he and Tonks were going to the Ministry to see their prisoners. Emmeline made Harry lie down—it had been a long few days for the boy, and he needed rest. While Emmeline was busy fussing over him, Remus and Naomi quietly made their way to where Ron was.

"How is he?" Remus asked Arthur, who'd spotted them and come to meet them.

Arthur sighed. "Well, he's got some bad cuts that Poppy think may be infected, but she says they can be easily fixed. His ribs are broken and he's got a serious concussion. Poppy also thinks the Cruciatus Curse was used on him a few times. She's doing a spell now to see how badly it's affected him. Other than that, he's fine." Arthur shook his head. "I thought he'd come back to us in much worse shape..."

Remus smiled and patted his arm "Ron will be just fine. Poppy's healed much worse injuries in her time."

Arthur nodded and smiled back. "When Harry wakes, we'd like to thank him. If it hadn't been for him, my boy would be gone. You and Sirius have raised him very well, and I want to thank you for letting him do this. I know how protective the two of you are of him..."

"Well," Remus said. "We're just glad Ron's all right. There's no need to thank us." Arthur smiled again and went back to his family.

"He's right, you know," Naomi said quietly as she and Remus turned away from the Weasleys. "You and Sirius have done an excellent job with Harry. James and Lily would be proud of all three of you."

Remus smiled at her. "Thanks," he said. Naomi winked and went to lie on an empty bed, closing her eyes in exhaustion.

Emmeline left Harry's side and approached Remus. "How's Ron?" she asked.

"He'll be fine," Remus said, accepting her hug. "Nothing too horrible, surprisingly. I guess Naomi was right: They did want Harry to try and find him."

Emmeline snorted humorlessly into his chest. "You mean you doubted her?"

Remus shrugged, laying his head on top of hers. "If they weren't expecting Harry, they would have killed Ron, and that would have been the end of it. But by keeping him alive, and not too badly injured, the chances of Harry trying to act the hero and save him were increased."

Emmeline nodded and sighed. "God, I'm so tired... I feel like I haven't slept for two months."

Remus chuckled. "Well, before we lie down, I'd like to talk to you about something." She looked at him questioningly. "Let's go out in the hall..." He led her out of the hospital wing where they sat on a bench against the wall.

"What's up?" she asked quietly.

"I wanted to talk to you about the wedding," he began. At her raised eyebrow, he went on, "I've decided I don't want to marry you in June—"

She stared at him. "Excuse me?" she asked in a deathly quiet tone.

Remus winced, realizing what he'd said. "That's not what I meant," he said hastily. She looked very relieved, but highly suspicious. "I meant I don't want to _wait_ until June to marry you. I think we should move the wedding up to next month."

She looked at him oddly for a moment as though waiting for him to go on. "You're not kidding," she said quietly, studying his face. "You really want to do this?" He nodded. "Remus..." she said, smiling a bit. "We can't do that. We've already got the invitations sent out... My brothers won't be able to get out here on that short of notice..."

"Well, I've thought about that," he said. "Most of our guests are in the Order, and they'll have no trouble getting to the wedding. If your brothers can get the time, I'll pay for their airplane tickets if they want to come that way, or we can set up an international portkey... That way they might be more inclined to come out here—they won't have to pay for travel... Emmeline, I don't want to wait another five months. If I had my way, we would have been married months ago."

Emmeline didn't seem to know what to say. "I feel the same way, but it's just not like you to be impulsive like this." He grinned. "But I like it, and of course I'm not against moving the wedding up."

"Yeah?" he asked softly. She nodded. "Okay, then, we're getting married in a month."

After sealing the deal with a long kiss, Emmeline pulled away, shaking her head and laughing slightly in disbelief.

"What?" Remus asked cautiously.

"Do you have any idea how much I've got to get done in that time?" she asked.

He laughed. "Yes, but right now, we need sleep. We can break the news to everyone in the morning..."

* * *

Sirius felt like a million galleons as he looked inside the Ministry holding cells where his unconscious Death Eater cousin laid on the floor. He couldn't wait for the moment when she would open her eyes and find herself back in Azkaban—he'd have to take along a camera to record her reaction. Maybe he could frame the photo and hang it in Auror Headquarters.

"Well, Black," Minister Bones said after looking at the six captured Death Eaters. "I must say, you've trained your Aurors well—particularly Miss Tonks. If you were to recommend her for a promotion, I would have trouble approving it without a second thought."

Sirius smiled. "She'll be thrilled to hear that, Minister."

"And give Mr. Potter my congratulations, as well. I believe an Order of Merlin, First Class is fitting for the both of them." She smiled. "Now if you would be so kind as to escort this lot to Azkaban, Sirius—they're dirtying my holding cells." The Head Auror laughed. "Then I want you and Tonks to go get some rest. Both of you take the rest of the week off—that goes for Lupin and Vance too; you've all earned it."

"Thank you, Minister Bones," he said, shaking her hand. The Minister left moments alter and Sirius turned to face his team of five Aurors. "You heard the Minister. Get them all ready for travel—we'll go by portkey."

* * *

The next morning, Naomi woke up in Sirius' arms. He'd come back to Hogwarts near three a.m. grinning like the maniac he was, talking about Order of Merlins and framing pictures. Naomi sat up as far as she could without waking him when she heard loud whispers. Ginny and Harry seemed to be arguing just at the foot of the hospital beds.

"You could have told me, you git," the redhead said, slapping him in the shoulder.

"I wasn't allowed," he retorted, rubbing his arm. "Besides, if I told you and Hermione, you would've wanted to come along, and you couldn't. So you both would've sat here worrying worse than you already were."

Ginny rolled her eyes, obviously out of arguments. With a sigh, she put her arms around Harry's middle and stood on the tips of her toes to kiss him. Naomi looked at the bed next to hers and Sirius' to find Remus grinning, trying to hold back his laughter. He touched an index finger to his lips to shush her—she'd been about to say something. Harry and Ginny finally broke apart and went back to sit with Ginny's family.

"Remind you of anyone?" Remus asked quietly, his voice shaking from suppressed laughter. Naomi grinned back, an image of another Potter and a redhead arguing and making up in the same way popping into her head.

* * *

Later in the morning, once everybody was awake, the Hogwarts house-elves brought in a large breakfast that could put Molly Weasley's cooking to shame—but no one was rude enough to say so aloud. Dumbledore conjured a wooden table in the center of the hospital wing big enough for them all to sit around—the Headmaster decided to dine with them that morning.

Before Sirius sat, he looked around the table. In a strangled voice, he declared, "If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!"

"Thank you, Professor Trelawney," Harry said flatly and louder than he'd intended, causing everyone to laugh. Remus pulled Sirius into his seat. "There are fourteen of us, anyway. Learn to count..."

Sirius shrugged nonchalantly. "Just thought I'd warn you," he said lightly, taking a platter of pancakes Charlie passed him. "Ooh, chocolate chips. I do love those house-elves."

"So are you going to make a press release about the prisoners, Sirius?" Bill asked, taking a bite of toast.

Sirius nodded, swallowing some egg. "Yup!" he said happily. "I've got to be at the Ministry at one to meet the reporters. Oh, and Harry, you're supposed to come with me. Tonks is meeting us there."

"Why do I have to go?" Harry asked, startled.

"Minister said so," Sirius replied thickly around his toast. "You can't very well receive an Order of Merlin, First Class while you're at school, now can you?"

Harry's eyes widened and he dropped the piece of pancake on his fork back to his plate. "_Order of Merlin_?" Hermione exclaimed. "You're kidding?"

Sirius shook his head, smiling. "Both Harry and Tonks are getting one for what they pulled last night."

"Wow..." Harry said hoarsely. "I... _wow_..."

"I'd come up with a better acceptance speech if I were you, Harry." Remus grinned into his glass of pumpkin juice. Harry threw a piece of toast at him.

"Congratulations, Harry, dear," Molly said, leaning over to hug and kiss the boy.

"You know, Harry, you're the fourth Potter to receive an Order of Merlin," Naomi said.

"Really? Who else got it?" Harry asked interestedly.

"Your grandfather was the first—he and another Auror arrested two Death Eaters when we," she gestured to herself, Sirius, and Remus, "were in third year, I think, who'd broken into the Ministry and killed a few higher-ups. And, of course, your mum and dad were both given one after they were killed."

"I didn't know that," Harry said, looking accusingly at his guardians.

"Don't look at me," Sirius said. "I didn't know anyone but your granddad got one. Moony?"

Remus nodded. "I knew, but I'd forgotten. There was too much going on back then—I don't think it ever registered in my mind. I know Peter's mother was given one for him—" Sirius growled slightly, but only loud enough for those sitting closest to him to hear. "Mrs. Pettigrew died about a year later, and I think she was buried with it."

"Can we talk about something else, please?" Sirius asked, looking as though was losing his appetite.

Emmeline cleared her throat and looked questioningly at Remus. He smiled and nodded. "Remus and I have an announcement," she said to the table. Everyone looked at her. "We've decided to move our wedding up to next month, instead of waiting until June."

Harry looked a bit upset, but before he could say anything, Molly said, "Well, that's wonderful!" and began muttering about things they had to do before the big day.

"When did you decide this?" Sirius asked the couple.

"Last night, just after you left," Remus replied. "We decided we didn't want to wait any longer than we have to."

Sirius nodded and then grinned mischievously. "Good. That means we get to have your bachelor party four months sooner." Remus groaned loudly. "Oh, come on, Moony, it's going to be fun! Don't you remember Prongs' bachelor party?"

"Yes," Remus said grimly. "Why do you think I groaned?"

* * *

Standing inside the Ministry of Magic Atrium, in front of a group of twelve reporters, Sirius waited for Minister Bones to finish her introductions of some of the members of the Wizengamot, including Albus Dumbledore. The Head Auror would then be announcing the names of the captured Death Eaters, and then he'd present the Order of Merlin, First Class, to Harry and Tonks.

The Minister stepped back from her podium and gestured for Sirius to take over. He did so, looking out at the gathered crowd, finding Remus, Emmeline, and Naomi, with two Hit Wizards on either side of her for protection, immediately.

"Good afternoon," he said to the group. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I promise to make it worth your time.

"Last night, just past one a.m., Auror Nymphadora Tonks—" He inwardly grinned as he heard her low growl from behind him. "—reported to have captured six known Death Eaters single-handedly, and in the hideout of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." He saw Remus raise his eyebrow at this, but if he'd said "Lord Voldemort," the fearful squeals wouldn't allow his speech to be heard. "She did so using her skills as an Auror, and I've never been more proud of any Auror in my entire career. Auror Tonks apprehended the following Death Eaters—get your quills ready, folks—" A few people laughed as the reporters looked on eagerly, "Bellatrix Lestrange, Antonin Dolohov, Vincent Crabbe, Bartemius Crouch Junior, Rabastan Lestrange, and Elizabeth Avery. These prisoners are presently detained in Azkaban Prison under heavy guard watch.

"In response to her unquestionable bravery, it has been decided by Minister of Magic Amelia Susan Bones, to award Auror Nymphadora Tonks the Order of Merlin, First Class." A few cheers sounded from the gathered Ministry officials and Tonks' parents and friends. Tonks stepped forward, beaming, and bowed her head a bit to allow Sirius to place the golden medallion around her neck. "Congratulations, Nymphadora, and we thank you for your service to the Ministry of Magic."

Tonks smiled and shook her superior's hand, muttering about getting him back for calling her by her given name, before she stepped back to stand beside Harry.

Sirius turned back to the crowd. "In addition to Auror Tonks' success in capturing these Death Eaters, a second Order of Merlin, First Class is being awarded to a young man I am privileged to call my godson. Due to Harry Potter's loyalty to his friends among many other qualities­—" He and Remus exchanged a grin. "—Ronald Weasley, son of Molly and Arthur Weasley, was successfully rescued from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's clutches. If it hadn't been for Harry's bravery, Ron Weasley would have died in the hands of our enemies.

"I would like to present Harry James Potter with the Order of Merlin, First Class."

Louder cheers sounded as Harry took Tonks' example and stepped forward to stand before Sirius and bowed his head just as she had. Sirius put the medal around his godson's neck and he looked up, smiling, as the Auror pulled him in for a hug. "Your parents would be so proud of you, Harry," Sirius whispered into the boy's untidy mess of hair.


	22. Twenty Two

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-Two_

The two couples residing within the walls of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place slept late into the following day. They hadn't returned from Hogwarts until near one in the morning—a small celebration had broken out in the hospital wing, and even Madam Pomfrey, who strictly frowned upon such things taking place in close proximity to her patients, joined in after a bit. This was mostly Sirius' doing—he'd gone into the Healer's office, dragged her out, and forced a plate of cake and a drink into her hands. After Remus cast a Silencing Charm around Ron's bed, Madam Pomfrey agreed to let the party continue. Ron hadn't been neglected by any means; his mother and Pomfrey spent most of the night at his side.

Upon returning to Order Headquarters, Sirius opened a bottle of firewhiskey and split it between him, Remus, and Emmeline—Naomi opted for pumpkin juice instead, stating she just wasn't in the mood to drink. The four of them stayed in the basement kitchen until sunrise, talking, laughing, and telling stories. And for the first time since Christmas, all four of them felt normal and content. The Order of the Phoenix had outsmarted Lord Voldemort, and they felt their chances of winning the war had just increased significantly. Voldemort would undoubtedly seek revenge for everything that had happened over the last month—the betrayal of one of his most trusted followers and her subsequent escape from death; Harry Potter getting in and out of the Dark Lord's hideout without anyone being any the wiser and rescuing a hostage; the arrests of six high-ranking Death Eaters; and of course, the open mockery of Voldemort's reign by Sirius' speech to the press—but somehow, none of that mattered. Now that the Order had managed this, they felt they could face anything the Dark Lord could throw at them.

Later in the morning, Remus woke slowly and reluctantly, and opened his eyes as the bright sunlight flooded through the window above his bed. He turned to his right where Emmeline still slept peacefully, realizing that in a month's time, they'd finally be married. He smiled, tracing the outline of her jaw, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. As quietly as he could manage, he got out of bed and pulled on a t-shirt before making his way down to the kitchen. The moment he opened the door at the top of the stairs, smells of breakfast and fresh coffee invaded his senses. He carefully made his way down the steep staircase, still feeling a bit tipsy from the night before, and found Naomi at the stove, wearing a pair of Sirius' pajama pants and a large sweatshirt.

"Good morning," he yawned widely, going to the counter for a cup of coffee.

Naomi turned and smiled at him. "Afternoon, actually; it's nearly one o'clock."

Remus raised an eyebrow and looked at the clock above the fireplace, finding that she was indeed correct. "Well, it's a good thing none of us had to be at work today."

She laughed and told him to sit at the table. Naomi put servings of bacon, eggs, pancakes, and toast onto two plates and floated them over to the table. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat across from him. "Dig in." She grinned before doing just that.

He chuckled and started on his eggs. "This is wonderful, thank you."

She waved him off with her fork. "Don't mention it," she said after swallowing a bite of pancake. "I was starving when I woke up, and I figured you three would be too."

After a second helping of pancakes, Remus asked, "So what are you going to do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you obviously can't go back to your flat right now, and you're more than welcome to stay here, but what about work? Won't Tom start to wonder where you've gone?"

"I'm sure he will." She sighed. "I thought about going back once all this blows over a bit, but until then, I've written Tom and told him I need to take some emergency personal time."

"Does he know about you're being a... you know?"

Naomi shook her head and smiled humorlessly. "You think he would have hired me if he knew I was a Death Eater? No, all he really knows is that I need a lot of unpredictable time off work, and he's never had a problem with it. Good man, Tom..."

Remus nodded. "Well, if you'd like, once Sirius gets over the hangover he undoubtedly has, he and I can go over to your place and get your things. That way you're not stuck wearing his clothes."

"That'd be great, thanks," she said. "So are you excited for the wedding?"

He smiled widely. "Very," he answered. "There's still a lot to do in the next few weeks, of course—we've got to decide where we're going to have it. Dumbledore's offered to let us have it at Hogwarts, maybe out by the lake. He said he could put a heating charm around the area so we're not all freezing to death."

"That'd be nice," Naomi said approvingly. "So you two aren't going for the traditional church wedding, then?"

He shook his head. "We'd planned on having it at the cottage..."

Naomi winced and smiled sadly. "I'm really sorry about that, by the way. I know what the cottage meant to you."

Remus sighed. "It's all right. It could have been much worse." Naomi nodded. "I was thinking about rebuilding at some point, making it a bit bigger, you know."

"I thought you were going to expand it years ago..."

"I was, but after everything happened, I didn't see any point. It was just me living there, and I definitely didn't need all that space for just myself."

Naomi averted her eyes. The plan had been to expand the cottage after she and Remus were married to make room for any children they decided to have in the future. For the most part, Remus and Naomi had gotten over the awkwardness of being in the same house together, especially after all the time they'd spent preparing Harry for Ron's rescue, but there were still moments, like this one, when one of them would accidentally bring up their former relationship. Naomi was spared from having to respond when the kitchen door opened again and Emmeline walked in.

"Morning," she said tiredly, sitting beside Remus. He kissed her cheek, returning the sentiment, and waved his wand at the coffee pot to pour another cup of coffee and floated it to land in front of her. She smiled gratefully and took a sip. "So which one of you magnificent people made breakfast?"

"Naomi," Remus said, waving his wand again. A plate of food appeared in front of Emmeline a second later.

"Could you be any lazier?" Emmeline chuckled.

Naomi smirked. "He used to summon his quills that had fallen of the floor in school. And," she went on at Remus' slight glare, "he actually started to unwrap chocolate with a wave of his wand, so this is nothing."

"Showoff." Emmeline grinned at him. "What's on the agenda for today?"

Remus rolled his eyes as the witches continued to laugh at him. "Well, I'm going to kick Sirius out of bed and I think he and I will head over Naomi's to get her things. After that, I've got nothing."

"Good," Emmeline said, smiling. "Then we can finish plans for the wedding."

Remus smiled and kissed her. "I can't wait," he said softly. "Now if you ladies will excuse me, I've got a best friend to harass."

* * *

Harry and Ginny sat beside Ron's bed, having a game of wizard's chess while Hermione sat next to them, combing Crookshanks absentmindedly. Mrs. Weasley was on the other side of the bed knitting and reading a novel by an author Harry had never heard of called Valentina Jett, which she'd charmed to float in front of her and turn the pages automatically. The three students had been given the day off from classes by Professor McGonagall to rest up after all the activity from the last few days. Harry had yet to face the rest of the school after his return from Voldemort's hideout, and he could honestly say he wasn't looking the least bit forward to it. The entire student body would be wanting to know exactly what happened in there, and Harry didn't feel like talking much about it. Dumbledore told Harry that he'd had a few words with the school, asking them not to bother Harry or his friends about the incident, but Harry knew that would have done no good.

Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins were what bothered Harry most. Harry thought he'd finally figured out Malfoy's strange behavior, though it'd taken him months to do so. He had a good feeling that Malfoy had gotten the Dark Mark, a conclusion he'd come up with a few weeks before, when Malfoy had yelped loudly in pain during a Potions lesson and grasped his left arm. Professor Slughorn had excused him a short time later to go see Madam Pomfrey. Harry didn't have any more proof than that, but Malfoy was sure to want revenge on Harry for what he'd done at Voldemort's hideout.

_But he'd be stupid to try anything right away_, Harry thought, watching Ginny ponder her next move across the board. _If he did, Dumbledore would figure it out—if he doesn't already know—and Malfoy would be arrested._ This thought both amused and comforted Harry. He had no trouble dealing with Slytherins before, and this wouldn't be any different. The worst thing the Slytherins might be able to manage would take place on the Quidditch pitch in a few months, but even that wasn't likely—Harry's team was the best in the school, and they were sure to embarrass the Slytherins.

"Your move, Harry," Ginny said quietly.

Harry smiled and looked down at the board. Just as he went to make his move, a muffled groan sounded from Ron's bed. All former activity was forgotten—Mrs. Weasley's knitting needles and book fell to the floor; Crookshanks was shoved out of Hermione's lap, and the chess pieces between Harry and Ginny began to complain about the delay in play. Everyone was watching Ron, holding their breaths. The redheaded boy moved around in his bed a bit, trying to get more comfortable. After a minute or so, he moaned and opened his eyes a bit, his brow creased in a frown.

"Oh, Ronnie!" Mrs. Weasley cried, practically throwing herself on to her son and hugging him tightly.

Ron's eyes snapped open fully and he looked around in confusion. "M-Mum?" he croaked. "Where am I?"

Once Mrs. Weasley was finished kissing every inch of Ron's face, she backed away a bit, beaming, with tears of happiness streaming down her face. "You're at Hogwarts, dear, you're safe."

"Hogwarts? How'd I get here?" Ron questioned hoarsely.

"Harry saved you," Mrs. Weasley said, her voice catching. "He went into You-Know-Who's hideout and brought you back here."

Ron's eyebrows shot up. "Harry did that?" he whispered in what sounded like disbelief. "How?"

"Ask him for yourself," the witch said, smiling across the bed at Harry.

Ron finally turned around and spotted his two best friends and his little sister standing beside him. "Hey," he said to them. "Hermione, why are you crying?"

Harry looked at Hermione who was indeed crying about as hard as Mrs. Weasley. Hermione choked out a sob and hugged Ron tightly. Harry's jaw dropped when Hermione pulled back a little and began kissing Ron. When she stood a few seconds later, both her and Ron's faces were bright red, but neither looked very remorseful. Harry stole a look at Mrs. Weasley who seemed to be holding back a laugh, even though her daughter was doing no such thing.

"Welcome back, Ron." Harry grinned. "I can't say I'll give you as enthusiastic a greeting as 'Mione, but will you settle for a handshake?"

Ron threw a pillow at his best friend, grinning broadly.

* * *

A few hours later, Sirius and Remus Apparated just outside Naomi's flat, their wands drawn as they opened the door—somebody could be waiting for the witch to return home. But to their immense surprise, the flat was empty, and there was no sign that anybody had been there since Naomi.

"Let's get this done and get out," Sirius said quietly, looking around cautiously. "Just because we don't see anything, it doesn't mean something hasn't been planted..."

Remus nodded and followed Sirius to Naomi's bedroom where they found a few suitcases in the closet and began packing. She'd asked the wizards to get her a few books from her desk drawer, so Remus took care of that while Sirius gathered her clothes—ex-fiancée or not, Remus felt a little uncomfortable sorting through Naomi's undergarments. Just as Remus was about to close the desk drawer, a small black box caught his eye. He knew what it was before he even reached out for it, but opened it anyway. It was the solitaire diamond engagement ring Remus had given her nearly eighteen years ago. "I can't believe she still has this," he muttered.

"What?" Sirius asked, turning to look. Remus held out the ring and showed him. He nodded. "She told me she didn't know what else to do with it. The day she broke it off with you, she wasn't wearing it, and she never had the nerve to give it back."

"Hmm," Remus said, snapping the lid shut and placing it back in the drawer. "Well, are we almost done here?" he asked.

Sirius watched him for a minute. "Are you all right?"

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Yes," he said slowly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Sirius shrugged. "I don't know. Finding the ring you gave your ex-fiancée can't be the easiest thing in the world, I'd imagine."

"It's not a big deal," Remus insisted. "I was just surprised she kept it after all these years, that's all." Sirius didn't look convinced, but didn't have the chance to reply. "We should be getting back, don't you think?"

After a few moments, Sirius nodded. "Yeah, sure," he muttered. "Would you mind a quick stop at my flat before we head back? I want to grab a few things."

Remus nodded and watched Sirius shrink the suitcases to palm-size so they could be placed in the wizard's pockets. They took one last look around Naomi's flat to be sure they hadn't missed anything, and Apparated across London to Sirius' flat. "What do you need to pick up?" Remus asked, again following Sirius to one of the bedrooms.

"Some stuff of Julia's that Naomi wanted to see," the Auror muttered. Remus noted that his best friend had no trouble navigating through the boxes of things that had once belonged to Julia. Sirius obviously had no desire to spend any more time there right then; he found the boxes he wanted, shrunk them, and turned to Remus. "See you back at Headquarters, then." Remus raised an eyebrow at the abruptness and prepared to Apparate a second later.

* * *

Mrs. Weasley left for the Burrow later that evening, and after promising not to excite Ron too much, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were permitted by Madam Pomfrey to stay in the hospital wing for a bit longer—Ron had wanted to know every detail of Harry's rescue mission, and still seemed to be in awe of the fact that the Order would go through so much trouble just for him. His friends tried to get him to tell them what had happened in Voldemort's hideout, but he claimed that he remembered nothing except Voldemort himself interrogating him about Harry and the prophecy.

"But I don't know the whole prophecy," Ron said quietly to Harry. "I only knew the first bit that you told us back in second year. And he didn't like that at all." Ron shivered. "He was mad because he thought I, being your best friend, should know the whole thing..."

"What did he do?" Harry asked.

"He used the Cruciatus Curse on me a few times," Ron answered hoarsely. "And when he finished, he looked into my eyes, and I could see memories of you, Hermione, and Ginny…"

"He's a Legilimens," Harry muttered. "He was trying to break into your mind, see if you were lying to him."

Ron nodded. "He knew all these thoughts and memories that no one else knows." He discreetly stole a glance at Hermione, who was speaking with Madam Pomfrey on the other side of the room. "Then he ordered someone—Malfoy's dad, I think—to give me a potion, and that's the last thing I remember." He looked at Hermione again, and after a moment he frowned as if he was trying to remember something. "There is one thing..." he began silently, turning to look at Harry. "But you've got to swear not to tell anyone."

Harry nodded and sat closer to his best friend to hear better. "Yeah, of course," he said.

Ron hesitated, biting his lip. "You-Know-Who showed me something... He said that if I cooperated with him, this thing he would show me would happen."

"What was it?"

"It was a picture, I think," Ron said, trying to work it out as he spoke. "Like that television thing you had at the cottage, but it looked so real... Anyway, it was the future, or what could've been the future, I'm not really sure. But Hermione was there, and she was older, maybe five, six years. And there were these kids I'd never seen before, and they looked a lot like her, but one of them had red hair like mine. Then I was there, and it was like we were a family, a really happy family. The war was over, You-Know-Who was gone... But—" Ron broke off, swallowing a lump in his throat. "You'd died. You and Ginny, and Sirius and Remus... My dad was Minister of Magic, and my mum... I don't know what happened to her. It was nice for a bit, but I didn't have any of my friends around except Hermione, and then I remembered it was a trick, that this wasn't really the future, or at least not how it should be. Because you've got to defeat him, Harry, and you won't die doing it. He's afraid of you; he knows you're powerful and that you _will_ defeat him, so he's trying to get everyone to turn against you. He said I could have what he showed me in that vision if I just told him a few things about you, things that would help him. And I told him no, and that he could kill me if he wanted, but I wouldn't betray my friends, no matter what he promised me."

Harry could only stare at Ron, his mouth partly open. Ron had the chance to live a semi-happy life (if Voldemort went through with his promises, which he wouldn't have), but he'd turned it down for Harry. He wouldn't hand over secrets to the enemy just to save his own skin. Harry thought briefly of his parents and Wormtail, and how weak Wormtail had been in that very situation. But Ron wasn't like that; he told Voldemort no, and he lived through it. Most other people would have cracked under the pressure of Voldemort's threats, but Ron hadn't. Harry remembered something Dumbledore once told him, that his friends would stand by him, and that he wouldn't have to face Voldemort alone.

Harry always thought, regardless of what Sirius and Remus told him, that when the final battle between him and Voldemort happened, he would be alone to face it. But as he watched Ron examine a chocolate frog card, he realized he wouldn't be alone at all. The prophecy didn't say he couldn't have help in defeating the Dark Lord, and he now knew what it would take. He only hoped that when the time came, he really knew what he was doing.

* * *

In the library of Number Twelve, Emmeline sat on the sofa, trying to pick out floral arrangements for the wedding. She was having a lot of trouble concentrating, though, since her fiancé sat right behind her, massaging her shoulders and kissing her neck. She tried to ignore him, really she did, but when one of his hands slowly snaked its way under her shirt, she gave up.

"Remus," she breathed. His lips left her neck in favor of her ear and Emmeline melted in his arms. She leaned back against him and turned her head to capture his lips with hers. When they broke apart long minutes later, Remus wrapped his arms around her tightly and buried his face in her hair. "We've really got to get this done, you know," Emmeline breathed, her eyes still closed.

"It can wait," he murmured, his hands on the move again.

As much as Emmeline would have loved to let him continue, she caught his hands and pinned them at his side, turning to face him. "We have to do this. You're the one who suggested moving the wedding up," she said, noticing his amused blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

He groaned in annoyance when he realized she wasn't going to let him go any further with his wandering hands. "Alright, alright... What do we need to do?"

She smiled and kissed his cheek, moving out of his lap and silently vowing to continue later that night what he'd started. "Well, we've got to pick out flowers for one thing."

Remus stared at her. "I know nothing about flowers and plants, except that I was bitten by a rabid mandrake when I was twelve."

Emmeline raised an amused eyebrow. "I highly doubt it was rabid, dear," she said dryly.

"Oh, but it was. James decided it would be humorous to put a Confundus charm on it and make it think it was a wild animal. It actually climbed out of its pot and chased me around the greenhouse. I tripped over a vine and fell, and then it crawled up my leg and bit my..." Emmeline raised her other eyebrow, her lips twitching. "Well, that's not important, but I swear it happened... Ask Sirius."

Emmeline tried not to laugh, but the image of a mandrake chasing a twelve-year-old Remus around was too much. Once she calmed down a little, she realized Remus was glaring at her. "Don't look at me like that," she said, sniggering. "You have to admit, it is funny."

"I still have the scar where it bit me. You want to see it?"

She rolled her eyes, her face red from trying not to laugh at him anymore. "Fine, you win. It's definitely not funny. Now, can we get back to the wedding? I promise we won't have any mandrakes in the flower arrangements."

"Har har," he said flatly. "Look, you pick out the flowers. Anything you decide will be fine with me. I'm not going to this wedding to look at flowers after all."

She chuckled. "Okay, then. Have you asked Arthur if he'd be your third groomsman?"

Remus nodded. "He said he'd be happy to do it. I think he was a bit surprised I asked him, actually. And how about you? Have you decided on your Maid of Honor?"

She sighed. "I wanted to talk to you about that," she said. "How would you feel about it being Naomi?"

Remus raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Naomi?" She nodded, watching him closely. "Well, that's up to you," he said slowly. "I wasn't aware that the two of you had gotten that close..."

Emmeline shrugged. "I just thought that after what she did for us... And with Sirius being the best man, she's the only person I think he'd be perfectly happy with."

Remus nodded. "Have you asked her?"

"Not yet," she said. "I wanted to run it by you first."

"It's fine by me," he said, shrugging. "As I said, it's your choice."

"So you wouldn't feel awkward with having her there?"

"Why would I?"

"Because she's your ex-fiancée and she's going to be in your wedding."

"Why does everyone seem to think I've got some problem with having Naomi around? I've told you and Sirius over and over again that I feel nothing for her. We've only just started becoming friends again. I've got no problem with Naomi being in the wedding," he said in frustration.

"Okay," Emmeline said, slightly surprised by his tone of voice. "You feel nothing for her, I got it. From now on, I won't ask you anything related to her, and I'll let you be surprised. Is that better?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "I'm only saying that everyone tiptoes around the subject of Naomi and me as though I'm going to breakdown and start crying because it's not her I'm marrying."

Emmeline raised an eyebrow. "That's not what I was implying, but is there something we should talk about?"

"No!" Remus yelled. "There's nothing to talk about! I'm not in love with Naomi; I'm in love with you, Emmeline. I don't give a damn about her being your maid of honor, and I don't give a damn about her still having the engagement ring I gave her. All I want is to marry you and start our life together. That's all I care about! Not floral arrangements, not where we're having the ceremony! None of that matters!"

Emmeline only watched as Remus stood and started to pace. She'd never seen him so frustrated and angry. Normally, he was very calm and collected; he rarely let his emotions get the best of him. "Remus," she said quietly. He spun around and stopped his pacing, his hands clasped behind his head. "What's wrong?"

He took a deep breath. "Nothing," he finally said, his voice back to its calm tone. "I'm sorry for yelling. I'm just a little stressed, that's all."

"A little stressed?" she said dubiously. "Remus, you never yell. Please tell me what's bothering you." She stood and crossed the library to stand in front of him, removing his hands from behind his head, and held them tightly in her own.

He sighed heavily. "I suppose the last few months have just finally caught up to me," he admitted quietly after a minute. "Everything from Greyback and Arabella, to the cottage, to Sirius and Naomi, and Ron, and Harry, and the war... I'd just like a bit of normalcy for a change, and I'd like it to stick around for more than a week. And the only time I feel completely normal is when I'm with you, Harry, and Sirius. I'm sorry for yelling at you," he said again.

She smiled softly. "It's all right. We've got to yell at each other sometimes, don't we? Even Mister Rational who never yells needs to do it at some point."

He chuckled. "I suppose," he said. "Emmeline, you should take care of all the wedding details. Naomi can help you if that's what you want. I'm already getting what I want out of this deal and the rest just isn't as important to me as marrying you."

She leaned up to kiss him. "How is it you always know exactly what to say?" she murmured against his lips.

"It's all true," he said before kissing her again. The wedding plans were, once again, put on a temporary hold.


	23. Twenty Three

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-Three_

Draco Malfoy was very angry.

He sat in a deep green leather armchair in front of the Slytherin common room fireplace, recalling the letter he'd just received from his father. He'd seen the newspapers from two days before, telling how Potter had somehow gotten into the Dark Lord's hideout to rescue Weasley and had gotten out without being caught. He'd read how the shapeshifter Tonks had arrested six Death Eaters, including his Aunt Bellatrix.

The Dark Lord was beyond furious with his followers, Draco's father had told him in the letter. After discovering the betrayal of one of his most trusted servants, he'd been fuming, but Potter outsmarting him had sent him way over the edge. Draco now had a new mission, a mission that, if he failed, the Dark Lord would personally see to it that he was duly punished. He only had eight weeks to complete his new mission. After that, if his target had not been destroyed, Draco would have to face his master's wrath.

He'd already failed one mission—Lupin was still alive and well and apparently about to get married. The night the Dark Lord had personally gone to take care of Lupin and Black, he had discovered a guest list comprised of members of the Order of the Phoenix.

_What kind of filthy beast would want to marry a werewolf?_ Draco wondered. It was disgusting to think about. But Lupin and his werewolf-loving bitch would not see their wedding day. Draco would see to that.

* * *

On the last night of the mini-vacation Minister Bones had given Sirius, Remus, and Emmeline, the three friends and Naomi sat in the drawing room, Sirius having decided they needed a change of scenery from the kitchen and library. Naomi had brought down one of the boxes Sirius and Remus had retrieved from the Auror's old flat and she and Sirius sat on the floor, sorting through old pictures. Remus and Emmeline were curled up together in one of the most comfortable armchairs in the house—the witch's eyes were closed, her head resting on her fiancé's shoulder; a book lay open in her lap while he read, his hands massaging her legs.

Sirius sorted through a pile of pictures, from Julia's childhood to her Hogwarts years. He found one that looked to have been taken just after first year—eleven-year-old versions of Julia, Naomi, and Lily smiled brightly, their arms around each other's waists. For most of her Hogwarts career, Naomi had carefully balanced her time between Julia and Lily, and the Marauders. There were a few years that she stuck solely with the girls—mostly when the boys (being James and Sirius) decided that, though they were interested in the fairer sex, Naomi was more like a sister, and it would hurt their reputations to be seen with her.

"We were such prats," Sirius muttered with a chuckle.

"You still are," Remus, Emmeline, and Naomi said automatically. Sirius glared at them as they laughed.

"What did you do now?" Remus asked with a grin.

"Nothing," Sirius replied. "I was just thinking about James and me, and how we thought Naomi was bad for our images with the other girls in school."

"Yes, I remember that very well," Naomi said flatly. "Sirius, James, and I were pretty much inseparable from the time we, James and I, met Sirius at a Ministry Christmas party when we were five, up until around third year," she explained to Emmeline. "But then they decided I wasn't good enough for them, so they declared it _'boys only'_ time, and I became best friends with Julia and Lily."

"It wasn't that you weren't good enough for us, Naomi," Sirius said. She raised a challenging eyebrow at him. "Moony, help me out."

"Oh no, you're not bringing me into this," Remus said. "If I recall correctly, I had no problem with Naomi hanging around us. You and James were the ones who told her to go sit with the girls on the train before term began."

Sirius snorted. "The reason you didn't have a problem with her was because you were madly in love with her."

"Sirius, I was thirteen! I wasn't interested in girls then; again, that was you and James."

Emmeline slid off Remus' lap without him noticing and sat beside Naomi on the floor. "They'll go on for hours about this," she said.

Naomi grinned and shook her head hopelessly. The two witches tuned out the argument Sirius and Remus were now having about a prank in second year—Remus insisted it had been by complete accident that a full pitcher of pumpkin juice had been dumped on Snape's head, while Sirius argued he'd done it on purpose.

"So I was thinking we could go dress shopping next weekend," Emmeline said casually. She'd asked Naomi to be her maid of honor, and the other witch agreed, albeit in a rather baffled way. She hadn't even known she was going to be invited to Remus and Emmeline's wedding, much less be maid of honor. She was actually quite flattered that Emmeline would even consider her for the position. "Molly says she's going to ask Minerva to let Ginny leave school for a few hours so she can get measured and all that."

Naomi nodded. "Works for me; I don't have anywhere to be. Sirius won't be happy about me leaving the house, though."

"I've got that all taken care of," Emmeline said dismissively. "My mother was good friends with the owner of Gladrags in Hogsmeade, so she's agreed to have all sorts of dresses sent in for us to try on. And Remus talked to Dumbledore, who said he'd have no qualms about Hagrid escorting us there and back."

Naomi looked at her. "My God... You and Remus are perfect for each other."

"So Sirius has said." Emmeline grinned.

"No, I mean it... It's sort of scary the way you both work out all the details. It's brilliant, of course, but it's like you're sharing his mind or something."

Emmeline raised an eyebrow. "I don't think I'll ever understand the inner workings of Remus Lupin's mind," she said, turning to watch Sirius and Remus arm-wrestle.

* * *

After a dinner of Chinese take-out (at Naomi's insistences), Sirius returned to the drawing room and started sorting through the box he and Naomi had been looking through earlier. Setting aside the photos and notebooks he'd been through hundreds of times, he reached the bottom where sat a plain parchment envelope, a phial of silver liquid, and a long, thin black box. He opened the box first and raised an eyebrow at its contents. It was a heavy golden locket he'd never seen before in his life, one he was sure _he_ hadn't given Julia. His confusion only increased when he took it out of its box and turned it over in his hand—an ornate serpentine _S_ was carved into it.

"What the hell?" he muttered to himself. He reached back into the cardboard box and retrieved the envelope. His name was written in small script that he only vaguely recognized, but couldn't quite place at the moment. He opened the envelope and pulled out a letter written on aged parchment.

_Dear Brother, _it read,

_I write to you in the hopes you will forgive me for my mistakes. Not until it was too late did I realize that you had the right idea in terms of beliefs. Our mother and father, of course, think quite differently, as you very well know, but I cannot help but wonder why it is that we now lead such different lives._

_I once idolized you, Sirius; you're my older brother and I loved you as such. Our family, though, has taught me to hate you for the blood traitor you've become. I was happy for you when I heard you'd fallen in love with a woman who loves you back—her heritage means nothing to you, and Bellatrix has convinced me that your are indeed lost to what I now consider the right side of this war._

_There have been many times that I wished I could go to you and beg for your forgiveness, but it is now far too late. I've done something that will no doubt have the Dark Lord and his followers searching high and low for me. Enclosed is a locket that once belonged to Salazar Slytherin. It is of great importance to the Dark Lord, which is the reason I've stolen it, and now give it to you. I trust you will hand it over to the proper authorities—Albus Dumbledore being the preferable choice._

_By the time you read this letter, I will likely be dead. I hope that you will remember what we once were, Brother, and not what we've become to one another—I never wanted to be your enemy. I wish you all the luck in the world with your life, and hope that you and your love will be married soon. May your children together know what it is to be truly loved by their parents—something neither you nor I had the chance to experience._

_Goodbye, Sirius._

_Your brother,_

_Regulus Arcturus Black_

Sirius didn't even realize the letter had fluttered out of his shaking hands. He stared at the wall opposite him with wide eyes, his jaw hanging open. This locket had belonged to Voldemort and Regulus had stolen it—was that why he'd been murdered? It had to be; Regulus said in his letter he would be dead soon after he, Sirius, read it. But how had it gotten into Julia's things? Sirius had never seen the locket or the letter before now...

"Padfoot, we're going to have some ice cream. Do you want some?" Remus asked from the doorway into the drawing room. Sirius didn't reply. "Sirius? What's wrong?"

"He set her up," Sirius said in a mortified whisper more to himself. "That bastard is the reason she's dead."

Remus crossed the room and knelt beside him. "What are you talking about? What's this?" he added, picking up the locket. "Was this Julia's?"

Sirius shook his head dazedly. "Voldemort's..." he said hoarsely. "Regulus stole it from him."

"Sirius, are you feeling all right? Maybe you had too much Sake with your dinner...?"

Sirius snatched the letter up from the floor and thrust it into Remus' free hand. "Read that."

With a raised eyebrow at Sirius' harsh tone, Remus did as instructed. When he finished, he found himself on the floor—his knees had given out halfway through the letter. "How did Julia get this?" he whispered.

"I don't know," Sirius said, his head buried in his hands.

Remus looked back into the box and pulled out the phial of liquid, examining its contents closely. "This is a memory," he said quietly. Sirius snapped his head up. "Look at the way it's moving. Whatever it is, _whomever _it belongs to, they didn't want anyone to know about it."

"We need a pensieve," Sirius said suddenly, trying to stand on his shaking legs. Remus stood and helped him get his balance. "I need to know what that memory is, Remus. I need to know how she got that locket and this letter."

"Sirius, this memory might not even be related," Remus said.

"You don't know that," Sirius said distractedly. "Is Harry's pensieve here?"

Remus shook his head. "No, he took it to school. Where are you going?"

Sirius left the drawing room and Remus quickly followed him down to the kitchen where Naomi and Emmeline were covering mounds of ice cream with higher mounds of chocolate and whipped cream. "Sirius, do you want cherries on your ice cream?" Emmeline asked.

Sirius didn't answer. He went to the fireplace and took a handful of Floo powder from the bowl on the mantle, tossing it into the grate, and stepping in. "Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office," he said clearly before disappearing in the green flames.

"What's with him?" Naomi asked, turning to Remus. "And why are you so pale?"

Remus slowly moved to sit at the table, Emmeline and Naomi coming to sit beside him. He lifted his hand where he still held the letter, locket, and phial, and placed the items on the table. "Sirius found these in one of Julia's boxes. The letter is from his brother Regulus. He thinks the phial is a memory of Julia's, and the locket... well, according to the letter, it was Voldemort's."

* * *

Harry and Ginny sat under a beech tree overlooking the Hogwarts lake, catching up on the snogging they'd missed out on in the last month, what with Ron's kidnapping and Harry's nightly excursions to Number Twelve to plan the rescue mission. Harry pulled away after a record-breaking nine minute long kiss. Breathing heavily, and quite red in the face, he leaned against the tree's trunk and pulled Ginny to lean against him. Around them, Harry had cast a warming charm so they wouldn't freeze in the snow, and a privacy spell so students wandering the grounds couldn't interrupt them.

They sat in silence, their arms wrapped tightly around each other as they looked out onto the lake where a few third year girls were ice skating. "So are you excited about the wedding?" Ginny asked quietly after a few minutes.

Harry nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I wish they'd wait until June like they'd originally planned, but I'm excited."

"Why should they wait until June?" Ginny asked, looking up at him. "They love each other and all waiting is going to do is make them impatient."

"I guess. I just thought I'd be able to go to the wedding. Now that they're having it next month, I'll never be let out of school to go."

Ginny raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm going," she said frankly. "My mum told me the other day that she, Emmeline, and I are going to Hogsmeade next weekend for dresses. Did you really think you wouldn't be able to go?"

Harry looked at her in confusion. "Sirius and Remus never mentioned anything to me about it..." he said, now thinking himself quite dense for believing he wouldn't be able to attend the wedding of his surrogate godfather. "How was I supposed to know?"

Ginny stared at him before bursting out laughing. "You can be as thick as Ron sometimes," she said. "Honestly, Harry, you're _in _the wedding. How could you think they'd move it up and not arrange it so that you would be able to be there? Not to mention they're most likely holding it here..."

"I don't know!" Harry said defensively. "They're doing everything else without me, why not this?"

Ginny stopped laughing abruptly, hearing the slight hurt in his voice. "What are you talking about?"

Harry sighed. "Nothing. Forget I said anything," he muttered uncomfortably.

"No, tell me," she pressed softly.

He sighed again. "I don't know... Emmeline and Remus are getting married and they'll probably move into their own place. Sirius and Naomi have gotten together and then _they'll_ probably get married eventually. It's like Sirius and Remus are starting these whole new lives, and I don't fit in anywhere."

"Okay, now you _are_ being stupid," Ginny said bluntly. "Why would you think, even for a second, that you wouldn't have a place in their lives? Sirius and Remus love you more than anything, Harry. They're not going to start new lives and dump you along the way."

"But what if they have kids? They're not going to want to have to deal with me too—"

"You can stop that line of thinking right now," Ginny said firmly. "I'm sure they'll have kids at some point, but it doesn't mean they'll have less time for you. Harry, I've got six brothers. My parents make time for all of us—well, not Percy so much anymore, but that's another story. They don't love any of us any less than the others. Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George have gone out on their own, but my parents didn't forget about them when Ron and I were born, and they'll never just leave them out in the cold."

"It's different," Harry said, not looking at her. "Your mum and dad are actually your parents. Sirius and Remus are only my guardians. We've got no blood between us whatsoever. There've been times that I wondered if they only took me in because my parents were their best friends."

"How can you say that?" Ginny said incredulously. "I've never seen a family like the one you've got. My mum told me once that the three of you are more of a family than a lot of the people we know. She said Dumbledore told her that the _day_ Sirius was released from Azkaban he wanted to come and find you, but Dumbledore made him and Remus wait."

"That's another thing..." Harry said mostly to himself. "Remus was around the entire time Sirius was in Azkaban, but I still had to live with my aunt and uncle. He could have come for me, but he didn't."

"That's because he couldn't," Ginny said. "I asked my dad about that once. He said the Ministry never would have allowed Remus to take you from your guardians because he's a werewolf. And is he even named as one of your legal guardians?" Harry shook his head. "See, that's your reason. I don't know Remus nearly as well as you do, but I do know that if he'd been able, he would have taken you from your relatives. Harry, Sirius and Remus love you like you're their own son, and just because Remus is going to be married, and Sirius might be, you're still going to have a large place in their lives. Someone's got to change the dirty nappies..."

Harry laughed a little. "You're right," he said. "As always. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that Sirius and Remus are happy. I really, really am. I've just always had this fear that my life with them has just been one big dream, and at any minute, I'm going to wake up in that cupboard under the stairs at the Dursleys' place." Ginny pinched him hard on the arm. "Ow!" he yelped. "What was that for?"

"To prove this isn't a dream," she said airily. "Everything's going to work out great, you'll see."

He smiled at her. "I know," he said quietly before kissing her. "If I tell you something, will you promise not to laugh or run away?"

"That would depend on what you tell me," Ginny said with a raised eyebrow.

Harry bit his lip, hesitating. "I love you," he said, his voice barely audible.

Ginny blinked a few times, as if the words weren't really registering in her mind. When she didn't say anything for a few moments, Harry started to get even more nervous. Maybe he shouldn't have said that. Maybe she didn't feel the same way about him... But all doubts were thrown aside as Ginny kissed him again, this time with a fierce passion. She pulled away a bit, smiling, only long enough to say, "I love you, Harry," before kissing him again.

* * *

The fireplace in Number Twelve filled with green flames and Sirius finally returned, carrying a stone basin. It was Dumbledore's pensieve, he explained in a mutter. The Headmaster had let Sirius borrow his when Sirius had explained in a frantic rush that it was an emergency that he get a pensieve right that second.

"Did you tell him _why _you needed it?" Remus asked as his best friend pulled the cork from the phial with his teeth. "He might be very interested in this."

"Not until I know," Sirius said, pouring the contents into the empty pensieve. "Julia was my girlfriend, and for sixteen years I've wondered why Voldemort murdered her. This could be my chance to find out."

Remus sighed and exchanged looks with Emmeline and Naomi. "At least let me go in with you," he said quietly. "You shouldn't have to do this alone, Sirius."

Sirius looked at him with sad, haunted eyes. Glancing at the witches' concerned expressions, he nodded. "Alright," he said hoarsely. "But we do it now. I'm not waiting any longer."

Remus inclined his head and stood. "I don't expect you to," he said. "After you, then."

Sirius took a deep shaky breath and looked into the swirling liquid of the pensieve. Trying to prepare himself for whatever it would be that he was going to see, he bent his head over the basin. His nose touched the cool substance and he felt his feet leave the floor as he was sucked into the memory.

Remus turned to Emmeline and Naomi. "See you in a bit." They both nodded and he followed Sirius into the Pensieve.

Naomi watched them disappear before she turned to Emmeline. "I have a feeling that this will only end badly."

"What do you think that memory is?" the other witch asked quietly, staring at the pensieve.

Naomi shook her head. "No idea," she said. "I don't remember Julia mentioning any of this..."

Emmeline nodded and sat back in her chair with a sigh. "Are you still in the mood for ice cream?"

"Not really."

"Me neither."


	24. Twenty Four

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-Four_

Remus landed easily on the carpet of the living room that had once belonged to Julia and her parents. Beside him, Sirius stood watching with longing eyes as his former girlfriend entered the room carrying a bowl of freshly made popcorn and holding a telephone between her ear and shoulder. Remus looked at the clock on the wall—it was 10:30 at night.

Julia laughed at something the person she was talking to and replied, "Well, it's not like you haven't known for years that James is weird. The man had a pet snake called Mr. Wiggles for Merlin's sake."

_She m__ust be talking to Lily,_ Remus thought vaguely.

"You had just better hope he doesn't mess your kid up too badly," she teased over the phone, propping her legs up on the sofa. "Yes, yes, I'm sure James will be an excellent father." Whatever Lily said in response made Julia smile softly. "Well, before that can happen, Sirius needs to propose to me. But we barely see each other anymore, between my work at the Ministry and his Auror training... Yeah, he's coming over tonight. He's actually late; he was supposed to be here half an hour ago... No, he probably just went home for a shower. He Flooed earlier and said he and Frank Longbottom were working late on some case." Julia looked towards the door when someone knocked. "That's probably him now. I'll see you tomorrow... No, I won't do anything you wouldn't do, but you're married, so I can't imagine there's much you wouldn't do..." Julia laughed again. "Good night, Lily."

Shaking her head with a smile, Julia hung up the phone and removed the bowl of popcorn on her stomach. "I'm coming!" she called to the door as the urgency in the knocks increased. Sirius and Remus followed her to the door. She stopped at a mirror in the hall to fix her long brown hair. "Honestly, Sirius, calm down..." she muttered pulling open the door.

The wide smile on her face disappeared immediately when she found not Sirius on the other side but his brother Regulus. Sirius growled a bit at the black hooded form of his younger brother, hoping Julia would just curse him.

"Her wand is on the table," Remus said quietly.

Sirius closed his eyes tightly. He'd told her a million times to take her wand everywhere she went.

"What are you doing here?" she asked coldly.

Regulus pushed past her into the house and closed the door. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said at the fearful wide eyes of the witch. "I just need to talk to you."

"I want you out of my house now," Julia said, her voice trembling and her eyes darting from Regulus to the table in living room, obviously wondering if she could get to her wand. "Sirius will be here any minute, and if you—"

"I told you," Regulus said. "I'm not here to hurt you. Look, I know you don't like me, and I've given you no reason to, but... I'm in trouble, I just need you to give something to him."

"Why should I do anything for you?"

"Because it's something that might help you defeat the Dark Lord, and if I'm caught with it, it will never get into the right hands. Hell, whether I have it or not, I'm dead, but I wanted to be sure this gets to the right people."

"Don't do it, Jules," Sirius begged. "It's a setup, please, don't do it."

Remus knew his pleading was pointless—they both knew what was about to happen, but if Sirius wanted to try and convince himself it wouldn't, Remus wouldn't be able to stop him.

Julia and Regulus stared at one another for a long moment—the wizard's eyes held a quiet desperation Remus had never seen in all the time he'd known Regulus; Julia's eyes were skeptical. "What do you want me to give him?" she finally asked quietly.

Regulus sighed in relief and smiled a bit, causing him to look even more like his big brother. The younger Black reached into his robes and pulled out a heavy golden locket with the same _S _on it as the one Sirius found at Number Twelve. "I'm not entirely sure what this is, but I know it's very important to the Dark Lord. He had all kinds of spells and enchantments on it for protection. It once belonged to Salazar Slytherin—"

"The Hogwarts founder?" Julia asked, looking in curiosity and amazement at the locket.

"The one and only," Regulus said darkly. "Anyway, the Dark Lord used it for some sort of ceremony. Nobody really knows what he did, but I have a few ideas. If you get this to Dumbledore, I'm sure he'll be able to figure out more about it. I've also written a letter to Sirius, explaining everything. Will you give these to him? I didn't want to leave them at his flat with him not being there—I'm afraid the locket will be stolen and returned to the Dark Lord..."

"If I take this," Julia said slowly, "they'll come after me, won't they?"

Regulus shook his head. "They've got no reason to. They're after me, and I was careful to erase any path that could lead them here. So long as you get this to Dumbledore, you should be safe. But I would recommend waiting until morning to do it—there are Death Eaters monitoring Floo communication. And _do not_ send it by owl—it would be far too easy to be intercepted."

"Sirius is going to kill me for this," she muttered under her breath. "Alright, I'll give the locket and letter to him. What will happen to you?"

"Don't worry about that," Regulus said, his pureblooded arrogance shining through. "Just do what I've asked. Please. Oh, and if you know how, take the memory of this out of your mind and put it somewhere safe. That way if they do find you, they can't break it out of you."

Regulus handed over the letter and locket, and without another word he turned and left the house. A sharp _crack_ sounded on the patio as he Disapparated.

Julia continued to stare at the door, horror written all over her face. "Oh god, what did I just do?" she whispered, looking down at the items in her hand.

She ran past Sirius and Remus to the living room where her wand lay on the table before sprinting up the stairs. The wizards followed her to her bedroom where pictures of her and Sirius, her, Lily, and Naomi, and her parents lined the walls. She went to the closet and began throwing clothes and shoes over her shoulder. She wrenched open her Hogwarts trunk and dug around until she found an empty potions phial. Taking a deep, calming breath, she placed the tip of her wand to her temple and closed her eyes, and a moment later, pulled her wand away, a silver strand of thoughts wrapped around the tip. She carefully put the strand into the phial and put a cork in it. Then she stood, looking wildly around her room. She rushed to her bedside table where a picture of Sirius grinned cheekily at her and pulled a drawer open, retrieving a black leather pouch. One by one, she placed the locket, letter, and phial inside, and pulled the straps of the pouch shut, muttering a charm to seal it magically and make it unobtainable by summoning or any other magical means, before putting it back into her drawer. She sat against the table and put her head into her hands.

The door downstairs opened and closed, and a voice that undoubtedly belonged to Sirius called out, "Jules? Where are you? I brought dinner!"

Relief like no other spread across Julia's features as she pushed herself off the floor. "I'll be right down, Sirius! Make yourself at home!"

"I always do!"

Julia laughed a little and left the room.

Remus turned to Sirius. His best friend's jaw was clenched tightly as he continued to stare at the drawer that held the locket. "Come on, Padfoot... We should get back..." When Sirius made no move to leave, Remus grabbed his elbow and concentrated on the kitchen of Number Twelve, and a second later, they were back on the stone floor. Sirius swayed dangerously as Remus led him to the table.

"What happened?" Naomi asked quietly, moving from her chair to an empty one beside Sirius and putting her arms around him.

"We need to get Dumbledore here immediately," Remus said hoarsely.

* * *

Dumbledore was contacted shortly thereafter and was filled in on the events of the evening. Naturally, the Headmaster wanted to see Julia's memory, and when he reappeared in Number Twelve's kitchen twenty minutes later, his face was blank of every thought and emotion that might tell his former students the conclusions he'd come to. Sirius hadn't said anything since Dumbledore's arrival; he remained beside Naomi who was rubbing his back in attempted comfort—Remus was positive it did no real good.

For years, they had all thought the reason Julia had been targeted and killed was because she was a member of the Order of the Phoenix. There'd been nothing pointing in another direction—Julia had been a clever witch, but she'd never faced Voldemort, and until tonight, Remus didn't believe there'd been any other reason for her death than her alliances with Dumbledore. But it had been Regulus' fault she died—he'd convinced her to take that locket to give Dumbledore.

_If only she'd actually given it to him,_ Remus thought. _But would Voldemort still have come for her?_

Dumbledore tapped the side of the pensieve with his wand and muttered an incantation to tell him how old the memory was. He told the others that it was created just one week before her death. This proved to Remus that Sirius had indeed been listening—he heaved a dry sob. Naomi wiped quickly at her eyes and bent to kiss Sirius' hair, whispering something to him the others couldn't hear.

"How did Voldemort know Julia had the locket?" Emmeline asked quietly.

"Regardless of whatever Regulus did to erase his Apparition points, there are still ways to track a witch or wizard when they Apparate or Disapparate—as you know, being the Head of the Magical Transportation department, Emmeline," Dumbledore said. Emmeline nodded. "Voldemort sought Regulus out, and even if Regulus didn't tell him where he'd taken this locket, Voldemort could have performed any number of spells to show him that Regulus had taken it to Julia's home."

"Why is this locket so important to him?" Naomi asked. "I never heard anything about it..."

Dumbledore sighed heavily, his considerable age showing. "Do you all know what a Horcrux is?" he asked as though they were in a school lesson. Frowning deeply, Remus nodded, Emmeline and Naomi followed a moment later. The Headmaster went on, "It is my belief that Lord Voldemort created several Horcruxes during his first reign of power. Four years ago, I located one of the items I believed he used as a Horcrux, and it has since been destroyed."

When three of the four looked at him in question, he said, "The diary discovered by young Ginny Weasley in her first year at Hogwarts had been a Horcrux. For the benefit of Emmeline and Naomi, I will expand on this, since Sirius and Remus are both well aware of the events: You both are aware that four years ago the Chamber of Secrets was opened—it was in the newspapers, I believe. Miss Weasley had been given a diary before the start of term, and she used it to write down her thoughts and feelings. The year went on and odd things began to happen around Hogwarts. Remus, Minerva, Severus, and I, all being members of the Order, had suspicions of what was happening, and we searched high and low for what was causing our students to be petrified. It was not until Miss Weasley was abducted did we find anything of use. Or rather, Harry and Ron found anything. With the help of Hermione Granger, they discovered that the monster, for want of a better word, was moving through the school's plumbing. Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley went into a bathroom where they found the Chamber, and being the adventurous pair they are, went to rescue Miss Weasley. A Basilisk had been the cause of the attacks, and Harry killed it. He discovered what he described to me later on as being a 'ghost' of Tom Riddle, later renamed Lord Voldemort. Tom, who was sixteen at this time, informed Harry that once Ginny died, he would use her power, her soul, to come back to full power. Harry destroyed the diary from which Tom had left the memory of himself, thus keeping Voldemort from rising once more."

"Did you know that the diary was a Horcrux, sir?" Emmeline asked quietly, enthralled by the story—Remus had never told her any of this.

"I had a suspicion," Dumbledore admitted. "But I was not sure. At the time, I was merely pleased that Harry and his friends had managed to make it out of the chamber, which has since been sealed off magically so that no other student can find their way down there."

"Albus," Remus said slowly and not just a bit hoarsely. "If the diary was a Horcrux and Harry did destroy it like I know he did, then why wasn't Voldemort destroyed as well?"

Again, Dumbledore sighed. "Again, I only have my suspicions, but I'd like to think they are educated suspicions," he said. "I believe there are six Horcruxes belonging to Lord Voldemort."

Remus blanched. "_Six_," he choked out. "My god..."

"Indeed," Dumbledore said. "But as I said, the diary-Horcrux has been destroyed. This locket," he said, picking up the golden object, "will be tested. And if my theories prove correct, and this is a Horcrux, it, too, shall be destroyed."

"So that leaves four," Naomi said.

"That would be correct," Dumbledore responded.

"And do you have any idea what the others might be?"

"That is difficult to determine," Dumbledore said mysteriously. Remus took this to mean he had a good idea about the others, but did not yet wish to divulge the information. "If it is not too much trouble, Sirius, I should like to take Julia's memory back to Hogwarts with me. I will return it to you in good time, but I wish to analyze it further."

"Whatever you want," Sirius muttered hoarsely, his voice muffled in his arms.

Dumbledore inclined his head. "Thank you," he said. "I am very sorry about this, my dear boy. Julia was an amazing person, and it was nothing short of a tragedy to lose her." Sirius nodded a little to show he heard. "I must return to Hogwarts. I will see you all soon, I expect; after all, there is a wedding coming up."

Remus and Emmeline smiled weakly as Dumbledore picked up his pensieve and stepped into the fireplace. None of them said a word for long minutes—none of them knew what to say. Finally, Remus asked Emmeline and Naomi if he could have a few minutes alone with Sirius—they complied, though Naomi was reluctant to leave his side.

"Padfoot," he said quietly, moving to sit in Naomi's vacated chair.

"Why didn't she tell me?" Sirius asked, his voice full of pain and slight anger. When he lifted his head from his arms, Remus wasn't surprised to see tears falling freely from his eyes. "I was there not ten minutes later. Why didn't she tell me Regulus had been there? She didn't have to hide that memory. I would have helped her... _I _would have taken that locket to Dumbledore..."

Remus was at a loss for words; he'd been wondering the same thing. "I don't know," he said honestly. "Maybe she thought that if she told you Regulus had been there, you would have gone after him—"

"You're damn right I would have gone after him," Sirius said harshly. "He had no right going to her with this! If he was so determined to get that damn locket to Dumbledore, then why in the bloody name of hell didn't he take it to Hogwarts himself? It's just like him to be a coward; to put the woman I loved more than anything into danger... You read that letter he wrote me, you saw what he said about Julia and me. He knew Voldemort would go after her! He knew he was going to die, and he wanted to take as many _Mudbloods_ with him as he could."

Remus raised an eyebrow at Sirius' word choice, but decided not to comment. "He took it to your flat, Sirius, but you weren't home—"

"Then he should have thrown it into a river or something!" Sirius shouted. "He knew what that thing was—I don't care what he told Julia, he knew, Remus!" Sirius sniffed heavily. "Why couldn't I have been on time to her place that night? Why did I have to stop for food? I could have gotten that _thing_ from Regulus and then cursed the hell out of him for bringing it anywhere near my girlfriend."

"Sirius, I know you don't want to hear this, but I think you need to," Remus said quietly. "No matter what you think should have happened, it happened, and there's nothing we can do to change it. Julia must have known what she was doing that night. She probably planned on giving it to Dumbledore at some point, but for whatever reason, she didn't—"

"So now you're saying it's her own fault she's dead?"

"You will _never_ hear me say anything like that," Remus said firmly. "Julia was one of my dearest friends and I miss her terribly." He sighed. "You can't blame yourself for what happened to her, Sirius. All that will do is make you miserable and depressed. What we found out tonight won't change the fact that Julia is gone. I'm sorry to say that, but it's true and deep down, you know that as well as I do."

Sirius nodded jerkily and wiped the tears falling freely from his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt. "I know," he said hoarsely. "I just don't understand why everyone around me dies. Julia, Lily, James, Hestia, Kingsley... And the ones who haven't died have gone through absolute hell..." Remus sighed again, recalling Harry saying much the same thing after Ron was kidnapped. "Why can't I help the people I love?"

"You have helped us," Remus said quietly. "I don't tell you this often, but having you around means more to me than you'll ever know. Before you were released from Azkaban... There were nights I heavily considered ending it all. I had no reason to live. My friends were all gone in one way or another, I had no job, and all I thought I'd been was a drain on the economy. But you and Harry changed all that, and I am thankful every day that I have the two of you in my life."

"You considered suicide?" Sirius asked in disbelief. Remus nodded. "I never knew that..."

"I'm ashamed of it," Remus said simply. "I realized after I had you and Harry again how selfish it would have been for me to give up. If I'd killed myself, you'd still be in Azkaban, and who knows what would have happened to Harry—he'd probably still be with the Dursleys... Look, the point is, Sirius, you're not a curse on your friends. It's not your fault that there is a murdering psychopath out there. After tonight, we'll just have to fight harder to end this before something else happens."

Sirius looked up at Remus and nodded determinedly. "Do you think Dumbledore will find the other Horcruxes?"

"He's Dumbledore," Remus said with a small smile. "He can do anything."

* * *

Emmeline and Naomi were in the drawing room, silently repacking the box of Julia's things. Both of them were lost in their own thoughts—Naomi was thinking of Julia, and wondering how she herself could have missed something so important during her time as a spy against Voldemort. Emmeline lingered on thoughts of other things that happened during the first war, and if those too would popup and surprise them just as this had. Most of Voldemort's murders appeared to be just senseless, random deaths but between the Potters and Julia, it was clear that many of the deaths weren't as random as originally thought.

Emmeline really hoped the truth about Julia's death wouldn't put Sirius in a depression. Life was finally starting to seem normal again, and the excitement of Remus and Emmeline's wedding was only building over the days. Sirius was back at work fulltime with his Aurors now, since his powers had returned—Emmeline was still curious about how it had happened so abruptly (could it have had something to do with Sirius' wand surviving the cottage fire?) And the relationship between Sirius and Naomi was growing; Naomi told Emmeline that she hadn't been so happy with a man in many years. (Emmeline knew she was referring to Remus, though neither of them had said it aloud.)

"Emmeline," Naomi said suddenly. "I've got to tell you something."

Emmeline raised an eyebrow as Naomi went to the door and made sure they were indeed alone before closing it and turning back around. "What is it?" Emmeline asked.

Naomi hesitated. "I was going to tell Sirius first, but I don't know how he'll take it after everything we just heard. But if I don't tell someone soon, I'm going to burst."

Emmeline's heartbeat quickened. "What?" she breathed, slightly fearful, noting the look on Naomi's face.

"The other night while we were at Hogwarts, I pulled Madam Pomfrey aside while the rest of you were occupied. See, I haven't been feeling well for a week or so,and I wasn't sure why. Poppy ran a few tests, and..." Naomi took a deep breath. "Emmeline, I'm pregnant."


	25. Twenty Five

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-Five_

Since Ron was still stuck in the hospital wing when his friends were in classes, they visited him as often as they could—during free periods, lunch, and breaks. Much to Ron's horror, Hermione brought all the homework he'd missed since the term started again, but to her credit, she promised to help him with it. The kiss she'd given him when he woke hadn't been mentioned, but Ron didn't think anything needed to be said. The night he'd been kidnapped, the two of them had had a long conversation in which they'd both finally admitted, very awkwardly, that they fancied each other, and that neither of them would be against becoming an "official couple." They hadn't had the chance to do anything about it yet, since Ron woke just a few days before, but he was very pleased that she still wanted to be around him.

Ron was still in shock about all that had happened to him. He'd lived through being held hostage by the most feared Dark Lord in a century, and it was all because of his best friend. Harry had told him every detail of the rescue, from the map made by Naomi and Emmeline, to the penknife from Sirius that opened the door to the room Ron was being held in. Harry had received Order of Merlin, First Class for it, but Ron thought he deserved much more—there weren't any words to express how thankful Ron was to Harry, and he'd told his best friend as much. But Harry waved him off, saying that he, Ron, would have done the same if it had been the other way around.

At first, Ron didn't agree with this completely—he'd never have the nerve to sneak into a castle full of Death Eaters and You-Know-Who, but the more he thought on it, he knew he'd do whatever it took to save Harry if he was in danger. Ron never thought he'd have a friend like Harry, a friend who would risk his life without thinking twice about it. He was glad he did, though, and he hoped one day he could do something for Harry to make it up.

* * *

Sirius Black considered himself to be a fairly rational man; there were many, however, including his best friend, who at times would highly disagree with that line of thinking. He knew there were times when he overreacted to certain things, but that was something that just couldn't be helped. Usually the things he "overreacted" to were things that would put anybody into a decidedly foul mood—like finding out your former girlfriend's murder was caused by your idiot younger brother's supreme lack of judgment. This news normally would have sent Sirius into a month-long drinking binge, but though he was loath to admit it to himself, he was an adult, and that just wasn't how adults were supposed to deal with bad news.

So Sirius did what he thought the "adult thing" would be and went into the Ministry of Magic very early the next morning to the DMLE training room. There he let out his frustrations and sadness and all the other feelings he'd bottled up for two decades on a dummy used for target practice for the new recruits. He charmed the dummy to send spells at him at a very rapid pace while he fought them off in defense. He was so caught up in imagining the dummy to be a mixture of Lord Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy, and Regulus that he didn't notice the training room door open or close, nor did he see the person sit on a bench somewhere behind him, watching his every move.

By the time he finished with his workout, some two hours later—he still had one more hour before his Aurors would start filing in for work—he was soaked from head to toe in sweat and he felt much better than he had in a good while. He conjured a towel to wipe his face and turned around to head to the shower. He stopped dead in his tracks upon finding Naomi sitting innocently on a bench. "What are you doing here?" he asked, apologizing immediately for sounding so rude.

But Naomi only smiled and stood to meet him. "I heard you leave this morning, and I decided to follow you. Don't worry," she added as he started to tell her off for leaving Headquarters unescorted. "Remus came with me. He was awake and he wanted to come in early, anyway."

"Oh," he said, the rage that had instantly risen beginning to ebb away. "So what was so important that you had to come here?"

"I wanted to tell you something this morning before you left, but you'd already gone before I got the chance."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Is it something bad? Because if it's bad, I'm not sure how I'll take it right now..."

She shook her head. "It's not bad... Well, I don't think so at any rate... Why don't you go take your shower and we can go to your office—I brought breakfast."

Slightly bemused, Sirius nodded and did as he was told. He showered quickly and dressed himself in his Ministry robes before meeting Naomi back outside the door. As they walked down the hall to Auror Headquarters, Sirius tried to figure out what it was Naomi felt she needed to tell him. What was so important that she had to leave the protection of Number Twelve?

Inside his office, Sirius found Naomi had conjured a small table in the middle of the room with two plates full of all his favorite breakfast foods; though they'd probably been sitting there for two hours, everything still looked hot and fresh. "You didn't have to do this," Sirius said, sitting across from her. "I would've just gotten something from the cafeteria."

She shrugged. "I wanted to. Like I said, I've got something to tell you, and you've always taken big news better on a full stomach."

He chuckled and began to eat. Halfway through his second helping of eggs, which, along with the other foods on his plate, continued to refill themselves automatically, he noticed Naomi had barely touched anything on her plate. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

She took a deep breath and reached across the table to take his hand into hers. He sat his fork on the plate and took her other one. "I should have told you this a long time ago, but everything has been so crazy since I came to Number Twelve, and I just haven't had the chance." Sirius looked at her with worried eyes. "Since Remus and I broke up, I've been careful not to let myself get close with anybody. For years I haven't had friends I could really count on, and it's been almost been that long since I've been with a man that I truly cared about.

"You and I have known each other since we were five years old, and I always thought you to be one of my best friends. Since September, though, you've become much, much more than that. And..." she trailed off, looking hesitant.

Sirius squeezed her hands gently. "What?" he prompted softly.

"I love you, Sirius," she said, looking deeply into his eyes.

Sirius felt his heart swell to the point of bursting, and he wasn't even positive he'd heard her correctly. "You... you love me?" he asked quietly, wanting to make sure.

She nodded slightly, smiling. "Yes," she said. "I've known for months, but I was afraid to tell you; I didn't know if you felt the same—" she broke off as he stood suddenly and came to her side of the table. He pulled her from her chair and began kissing her with more passion than he thought possible.

He pulled away slightly, just enough to look back into her eyes. "I love you too," he whispered with a quiet laugh. "I've been trying to tell you for a month, but every time I try, we get interrupted." And they kissed again. This time, Naomi felt her knees going weak—without breaking away, Sirius led her over to his office sofa and sat beside her. When they finally needed air, they broke apart, panting as they caught their breath.

"Is this what you wanted to tell me?" he whispered into her hair, her head buried in his neck.

She suddenly remembered the second reason, the most important reason, that she'd come to the Ministry. "No," she said quietly, leaning back in his arms to look at him. "No, there's... something else..."

"Well, it can't be any better than this, can it?" he asked, smiling.

"I hope it is," she muttered under her breath. He raised an eyebrow. "Well, I—" She quickly tried to think of the best way to tell him, but finally realized any way she said it, his reaction would be the same. "You see, I haven't been feeling well for around a week," she began, "and I thought maybe it was because of, you know, what happened before Christmas. So while we were at Hogwarts the other night, I asked Madam Pomfrey to look me over, and to make sure I was all right."

"And are you?" he asked, highly concerned.

She nodded. "It was something I wasn't really expecting, and I had the sudden urge to lie down before I fainted after she told me what it was, but after a bit, I was all right."

"What did she tell you?" he asked when she continued to look hesitant and nervous.

She sighed and took his left hand, placing it on her belly. "She told me that I'm pregnant."

Sirius blinked at her, the words not registering in his mind right away. He couldn't have heard what he thought he had, right? They'd been careful; they'd used contraceptive charms and all that. But then he remembered one night not too long ago when neither of them had been very mindful of anything but each other... "Pregnant...?" he said weakly. She nodded, biting her lip a little. "You're pregnant?" Again, she nodded. "Pregnant, as in, you're going to have a baby? My baby?"

She laughed. He couldn't understand why. "Sirius, it's not that difficult a concept. Yes, I'm pregnant; I'm going to have a baby in about nine months."

"And I'm... going to be a father?"

"Who else?" she asked softly. He looked as though he was searching a possible alternative answer. "Yes, Sirius, you're going to be a father," she added with a slight laugh at the look on his face.

Before she realized what was happening, he pulled her close to him, hugging her tightly, his face buried in her hair again. She thought she felt his shoulders shaking a little, and she knew she heard him sniff lightly. "Sirius?" she said tentatively.

He lifted his head, showing her the widest smile she'd ever seen on him and tears of what she hoped was happiness on the verge of falling from his eyes. "We're going to have a baby?" he whispered.

"Yes," she said, a smile of her own on her face as he lifted her shirt a little to feel her belly.

"How far along are you?"

"Four weeks."

He laughed slightly, tears now streaming down his face. "I can't believe this," he whispered. "This is really happening, right?"

She laughed with him. "Yeah, it's really happening. I had to convince myself a few times, but it's really happening."

"I... I'm speechless," he said. She reached up to wipe the tears from his cheeks and kissed him softly. "I love you, Naomi."

"I love you too," she whispered.

They sat together, holding one another, Sirius' hand not leaving its resting place on her belly, for an hour until the other Aurors started entering Headquarters. Though neither of them wanted to be separated yet, Naomi quietly announced that she should return to Number Twelve. Sirius reluctantly agreed, afraid that if she left, he'd find out that none of this had actually happened, and he'd be in the same state as he was upon his arrival to the Ministry that morning. After a long kiss that left them both red in the face and breathing quite heavily, Naomi made her way to the Auror Headquarters' fireplace. Sirius watched her leave, still smiling so widely he knew his face muscles would hurt later. That day, not even Rufus Scrimgeour's scowling face could break his spirits.

* * *

Remus was in the middle of reading a report given to him by Minister Bones about Fenrir Greyback's werewolf pack. The Ministry had received numerous threats concerning a mass werewolf attack on the next full moon, and Remus was going to do everything he could to prevent it. He'd probably have to enlist the help of the DMLE, particularly the Auror squads, to patrol the areas known to be targets. Sirius would have no problem agreeing to help, especially since Remus would promise not to go after Greyback alone—not that he'd be able to if the attacks were to take place on the full moon, but—

The door of his office slammed open, startling both Remus and his grindylow. The wizard looked up to find his best friend once again standing in his doorframe looking out of breath. But unlike the last time this had happened, when Sirius had come to tell Remus that Ron was missing, the Head Auror looked about to burst from happiness or the loss of his last thread of sanity—Remus wasn't quite sure which just yet.

"Hello, Sirius," he said cautiously as Sirius closed the office door and practically bounced over to sit in a chair in front of Remus. "Okay, who hit you with a cheering charm, and do I need to take you to St. Mungo's?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, still smiling. "I've got brilliant news, Moony," he said excitedly.

"You captured Lucius Malfoy?"

"Better!" the other wizard exclaimed. Now Remus was very confused. He didn't think anything would be better to Sirius than catching the Death Eater he'd been hunting for ten years. "You're going to be a godfather."

Remus could do nothing but stare blankly at his best friend's beaming face for several minutes. "Sorry?" he finally said.

"Naomi came to the Ministry today to tell me she's pregnant! Remus, I'm going to be a father."

"Oh," was the only thing that fell out of the stunned werewolf's mouth.

Sirius face fell. "Oh? That's all you can say?"

Remus shook himself. "I'm sorry, Sirius," he said sincerely. "I just... wasn't expecting that at all. Congratulations," he added, now smiling.

"So you're happy for me, right?" Sirius checked, watching his best friend closely.

Remus chuckled. "Of course I'm happy for you, you prat. Why wouldn't I be? Padfoot, this is great!"

Sirius looked very relieved. "It is, isn't it? I wasn't expecting it, either. I mean, we've barely discussed marriage, let alone having children... I thought you and Emmeline would be the first to have kids."

Remus stood and walked around his desk, pulling Sirius up for a hug. They released each other, and Remus leaned on his desk. "I'm ecstatic for you, Sirius, honestly, I am. When is she due?"

"Well, she's about four weeks along, so probably sometime in September," Sirius said, smiling widely again.

Remus nodded. "What are you going to do? Will you get married?"

"Naturally," Sirius said. "And don't think it's because of this baby that I want to marry her. I've been thinking about proposing for a while now..."

"Does Naomi know this?"

"Not yet," Sirius admitted. "With everything that's been happening, I haven't even had the chance to get her a ring, but I was thinking about doing it after work. I wanted to see if you'd come with me, help me pick out something nice for her."

"I'd love to." Remus smiled. "And of course, being your child's godfather and the best man for your wedding, it's my duty."

Sirius grinned. "Who says you're best man? I was going to ask Harry." Remus raised an eyebrow. "Only kidding, Moony, of course you're best man, who else? But we're getting ahead of ourselves—I haven't even asked her to marry me yet."

Remus smiled and shook his head. "You act like she's going to say no."

"There's always a chance," Sirius said, suddenly looking nervous. "Are you trying to tell me you weren't nervous when you proposed to Emmeline?"

"Maybe a little," Remus admitted. "But Naomi loves you, and she's having your child—I highly doubt she'll say no."

"But what if this isn't what she wants?" Sirius asked. "What if... what if she didn't want kids after everything she's gone through?"

"If she didn't want this, she never would have told you, and she definitely wouldn't have been as happy as I'm sure she is, if I know her at all."

"I guess," Sirius said doubtfully. "I really want this, Remus, more than I've wanted anything in my whole life. I've never felt this way... _ever._"

"Not even with Julia?" Remus said quietly.

Sirius shook his head. "Not even with Julia. It's weird. I can't explain it... and it sort of scares me."

"I'm the same way with Emmeline," Remus said with a smile. "It's the best feeling in the world, isn't it?" Sirius nodded. "It's a hundred times what I felt with Naomi... I never knew it was possible to love one person so much."

Sirius chuckled. "I know what you mean," he said. "And this baby hasn't even been born yet and I love it."

"So what do you want, a boy or a girl?"

"Either." Sirius smiled. "As long as it's healthy, I don't care."

"When are you going to tell Harry?"

Sirius' smile faltered. "I almost forgot about Harry," he whispered. "What's he going to say?"

Remus furrowed his brow. "I'm sure he'll be fine, Sirius, there's no reason to worry about him..."

Sirius stared at the floor for a few minutes, thinking. "Right," he muttered, getting to his feet. "Well, I should get back to work. I'll come back round six so we can go ring shopping."

Remus smiled. "I'll see you then, Sirius. Congratulations again. I mean that with everything I have."

"Thank you, Remus," Sirius said quietly with his own smile before leaving Remus' office.

* * *

The two wizards didn't return to Number Twelve that night until nearly half past nine. Remus had told Emmeline earlier that he and Sirius would be late because they had something to take care of. Sirius had asked him not to tell her what they were really doing; he wanted it to be a surprise. Only seconds after entering the house, Sirius led Naomi upstairs with a nervous smile Remus had never seen before. When Emmeline asked him what was going on, he smiled secretly and led her down to the kitchen to find some dinner.

"Have you heard the big news?" Emmeline asked, making Remus a bowl of chicken soup and sitting beside him.

"I have," Remus replied. "Sirius literally bounced into my office this morning to tell me."

"What do you think?"

Remus looked at her, thinking. "I'm happy for them," he said after a few moments.

"Really?"

"Yes. I've never seen either of them this happy before and they've been good for each other. Admittedly, it is a little odd to see them together and about to have a baby, but really, I'm thrilled for them."

"You don't seem so thrilled," Emmeline observed, watching him closely.

Remus sighed. "I am, I just... It's something Sirius said earlier." Emmeline watched him patiently. "He basically said he thought you and I would have been the first to make this announcement, and I suppose I was really hoping it would have been us, and not them. It seems selfish, I know..."

"Not at all," Emmeline said softly. "I was thinking along the same lines when I found out, actually." She took one of his hands into hers, softly rubbing his knuckles and leaning closer to whisper in his ear. "If you want, we can get started on that..."

Remus' eyes widened a little as she continued to tell him what they could do. But he didn't have a chance to reply; a squeal from two levels above them cut him off.

"What was that?" Emmeline asked, startled. She started to stand, taking out her wand, but Remus pulled her back into her chair, chuckling.

"That," he said, "was Naomi's response to Sirius' marriage proposal."

Emmeline's eyes widened and a smile started to grow on her face. "You're kidding?"

Remus shook his head. "Nope. Sirius and I went to a jeweler in London after work and he bought her a ring."

She laughed in amazement. "God, that man is going to have emotional overload soon. First a baby, now a wedding..."

"I have a feeling he'll handle it just fine," Remus said softly.


	26. Twenty Six

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-Six_

A week before Remus and Emmeline were to be married, the front page of the _Daily Prophet_ held a large picture of a bridge in Muggle London that seemed to have been snapped cleanly in half. Hundreds of cars were driving into the river, unable to stop themselves. The Muggles had been told the bridge had collapsed due to faulty construction work. The magical community, of course, knew better. The official press release from the Minister of Magic announced that a dragon had trampled the bridge. How it was possible that there were no other signs of a dragon anywhere near—no burn marks, no claw prints—was a mystery, and that mystery kept Remus and five members of his department, including the dragon expert Charlie Weasley, in London for most of the day. All muggle bystanders and witnesses of the bridge catastrophe had had their memories modified, and Minister Bones had been in a long meeting with the Muggle Prime Minister since early morning.

A hundred Muggles had been killed driving across that bridge, or as Sirius put it, a hundred bodies had been found. If it had been a dragon that had caused this, that dragon may have ingested a few of those cars. And that was only one scenario.

"Why would Voldemort send a dragon to destroy a bridge?" Remus asked Charlie as they stood on the shore of the river, surveying the damage.

Charlie shrugged. "Maybe he just wants to show us he could do it..."

"No," Remus said, shaking his head. "We already know he could do it and we know he can do much worse. He's just toying with us right now."

"Or maybe," said a voice behind Remus, "he's just trying to curb our attention elsewhere while he does something worse."

Remus and Charlie spun around to find Sirius. "What're you doing here?" Remus asked him.

"There was a, shall we say, disturbance at Azkaban that I've been summoned to investigate. A few of the prisoners started screaming bloody murder and throwing things at the guards," the Head Auror explained. "I told the guards just to stun the lot of them, but they want me there anyway. I've just come to tell you I'm not going to be able to make it to the dress robe fitting today."

Remus nodded. "No worries. You can do it tomorrow. I'm still meeting Harry and Arthur after work, but yours can wait, I suppose."

"Alright," Sirius said. "See you tonight. I'll probably be late... Can you let Naomi know?"

"Sure thing. Be careful; those prisoners can get a bit rowdy."

Sirius laughed. "I'll be fine. See you, Remus, Charlie." The other two wizards waved as he Disapparated.

* * *

Sitting at a table in the Gryffindor common room, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione were attempting to finish their homework before dinner. Though he was still taking a number of potions daily, Ron had finally been released from Madam Pomfrey's care a week before. He'd become an instant celebrity the moment he set foot in the Great Hall—three of the four houses crowded around him and his friends, trying to get the story of being a captive of Voldemort's, but Professor McGonagall walked in behind the four Gryffindors and told the large crowd to get back to their breakfast. It wasn't only the students, though; Slughorn had started treating Ron just as he did Harry—with over-exuberant hellos and hearty pats on the back during lessons. The only ones in the school whose attitudes remained unchanged towards Ron were Snape and the Slytherins. Nobody besides the Order, Harry, and his friends knew that the Potions master had a hand in Ron's rescue, and Snape showed no sings of being any kinder because of it. Not that they expected it, of course.

"He only did it because Dumbledore asked him to," Ginny said.

Harry shook his head. "Actually, it was Emmeline who talked him into it. Don't ask me how, but that's what Sirius told me."

Hermione looked up from her Arithmancy book. "I've noticed that Snape doesn't treat Emmeline nearly as badly as he does everyone else. I wonder why that is..."

"Maybe they dated," Ron suggested vaguely, scratching his chin with his quill as he tried to figure out his Defense assignment.

"That's too disgusting to even think about," Harry said, shuddering artistically at the very thought. "And besides, can you see Snape dating _anyone_, let alone someone like Emmeline?"

"I highly doubt he's gone his entire life without having at least one date," Hermione said reasonably.

"Yeah, but _Emmeline_?" Harry said, shaking his head. "She's definitely not his type."

"Whose type is she then, if you're so brilliant?"

"Remus'," Harry said promptly. "They both know too much for their own good, they're both in the Order, and neither of them take any crap from Sirius."

"Snape's in the Order," Ron muttered. Harry glared at him for being unhelpful.

"That's not a type, Harry," Hermione argued. "You're just pointing out things they have in common. And if that's _all _they have in common..."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Look, Emmeline and Snape could never have dated. The only person I could vaguely see him dating is Bellatrix Lestrange, and even that's a stretch, not to mention really very disgusting..."

"Why are you two arguing about this?" Ginny asked. "What's it matter if Snape and Emmeline dated?"

"They didn't date!" Harry said in exasperation.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Either way, it doesn't matter. Maybe they were just friends or something a long time ago, and don't try and tell me it's impossible for Snape to have friends, Harry." Harry closed his mouth and turned back to his homework.

"Okay, new subject," Ron said, setting his quill on top of his book. "Any idea if Sirius and Naomi are having a boy or a girl, Harry?"

"Dunno," Harry said. "She's going to a Healer tomorrow, for a checkup. The next one is when they're doing the magical ultrasound thingy, so they'll probably find out then."

"They don't want to be surprised?" Ginny asked.

"Sirius doesn't like surprises," Harry said, shrugging. "And I think he's had more than enough in the past few weeks to last him a lifetime."

"So will this make you this kid's brother?" Ron asked.

"I guess," Harry said, shrugging. "Or god-brother, if there is such a thing."

"Well, I think it's great they're having a baby," Hermione said. "Though they probably would have preferred to wait until the war was over..."

"But when will that be?" Ginny asked. "If they'd waited, they could be too old to have kids by that time."

"Yeah," Harry said. "We were all born during the first war. Of course, your parents had no idea about it, 'Mione. And Ginny was, what, six months old when it ended?"

"I don't know," Hermione said. "War is just very unpredictable, and bringing a baby into it is a bit dangerous. But I suppose since it is Sirius we're talking about, and you are all staying at Number Twelve, it can't be that bad, right?"

Harry stared at her. "You don't know Sirius very well, do you?"

* * *

Naomi and Emmeline had Flooed from Number Twelve to Emmeline's home in London earlier that morning and set to making the place at least look as though it had been lived in for the past year—Emmeline's older brothers would be arriving that afternoon with their families for the wedding, and would be staying there. Sirius offered them rooms in Number Twelve, but Emmeline told him it would be much better for them to stay at her place. The Auror looked a tad offended that Emmeline didn't want her family staying with them, but the witch explained that her brothers weren't the world's best houseguests, and that she didn't want to be stuck in a house for days with her oldest sister-in-law.

But that had only been part of the truth; her brothers hadn't been in England for fifteen years, and as far as they knew, Sirius Black was still a mad mass murderer. The witch hadn't seen her family in three years, when she hadn't known Sirius well enough to have any reason to bring the Auror into their conversations.

Emmeline had to work hard to conceal her anxiety of introducing her fiancé to her very protective older brothers. Michael and Thomas Vance had taken over the role as father figure in their baby sister's life after their father was killed when she was twelve. And as such, both were quite critical of any man she introduced to them, particularly Michael.

_So it was probably a good thing that they never knew about Severus,_ she thought wryly, waving her wand over a bed to change the sheets. _That wouldn't have gone well at all..._

"Hey, Emmeline," Naomi called, entering the bedroom. "I'm breaking for lunch. Do you want anything?"

Emmeline sighed. "Yeah, I could use something," she said, turning to follow the other witch down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Thank God for Molly Weasley," she added, looking through the cabinets for something to eat. Molly had offered to go grocery shopping for Emmeline that morning, and there was now a fully-stocked refrigerator and cabinets. Since she'd moved in with Remus, Sirius, and Harry, Emmeline had had no reason to buy food at her own home.

"What time is your appointment with the Healers tomorrow?" Emmeline asked, fixing herself a ham and cheese sandwich.

"Two o'clock," Naomi replied. Emmeline watched with a raised eyebrow as she dipped a pickle in the mayonnaise jar and took a bite. "That's actually pretty good," she said in amazement. "Now I see what Lily was on about with the whole craving thing when she was pregnant with Harry."

"What did she crave?"

"Nothing too crazy: apple pie with custard and pumpkin juice—ate it almost every other hour. James had to run around making sure the house was stocked or she'd have a hissy fit. Of course, when James wasn't looking, she'd start laughing. She only did it to see him run around like his head was cut off."

Emmeline chuckled. "I suppose that explains a few things. Harry could eat ten helpings of Molly's apple pie if you let him."

"Oh, that's nothing," Naomi said, carrying her plate to the table. "James' mum told me once she had a mad craving for cockroach clusters when she was pregnant with him. Until then, none of us could figure out why he'd pass up Honeyduke's Finest for those. I just can't wait until my cravings start, the ones at three in the morning, you know. I'm going to have Sirius running all over the place."

Emmeline laughed. "As well you should," she said.

"So what are you're brothers like?" Naomi asked after a few moments.

Emmeline looked thoughtful for a minute. "Well, Thomas... he's three years older than me, and he's a lot like Remus—quiet, studious, polite. He was Prefect and Head Boy in Hogwarts, and now he works in the Department of Mysteries in America, but theirs isn't nearly as secretive as ours. I don't think he and Remus will have any trouble hitting it off. His wife is Muggleborn, and she studies ancient artifacts and paintings and things for a wizard museum. They've got two children: Andrew and Nicole—Nicole's going to be the flower girl for the wedding.

"And Michael..." She sighed. "He's one of those proud pureblood types. Oh, he's nothing like Lucius Malfoy," she added hastily at Naomi's eyebrow. "But he does believe in the whole purebloods-should-only-marry-purebloods. His wife is this snooty rich woman from a very old family in America. Don't get me wrong, Michael is a great man, but he's somehow gotten it into his head that he's a bit better than Thomas and me—Thomas especially, since he was the one with the audacity to marry a Muggleborn," she said with a sarcastic smile. "Anyway, he's an Auror in the American DMLE, and very high ranking within their Ministry. He and his wife have twin boys, Christopher and Dean—they're going to be the ring bearers—and they've got a girl around Harry's age, Anastasia, but everyone just calls her Ana."

"Is Anastasia a family name?" Naomi asked curiously.

"Not on my side, so feel free to laugh—Thomas and I had a nice long one after Michael told us what they named her. I mean, it's a beautiful name, but it would have been much more beautiful if her mother wasn't such a cow."

"Such a wonderful aunt and sister-in-law you are." Naomi grinned. "So you're worried about Michael meeting Remus?"

An odd shadow seemed to pass over Emmeline's face. "A little," she said quietly.

"Well, Remus Lupin can make just about anybody like him, so I don't think there's anything to worry about," Naomi said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah," Emmeline said with a forced smile. "You're right... Everything will be great."

Naomi raised an eyebrow at the doubt that laced Emmeline's voice, but didn't say anything. The two witches finished their lunch and went back to cleaning. Just as they finished and sat on the sitting room sofa to relax for a bit, the doorbell rang. Emmeline snapped her head to the front hall, her eyes wide. "Oh god, they're early," she said weakly.

* * *

Sirius entered Azkaban and noted how quiet the prison was. For a split second, he wondered if there'd been another mass breakout, but as he approached the maximum security ward, he found Aurors Proudfoot and Johnson (who'd been cleared of all charges in being a part of the conspiracy of Ron's kidnapping) standing guard.

"What happened?" the Head Auror asked tiredly.

"Lestrange got a hold of a wand," Proudfoot began.

"Which Lestrange and how?"

"Bellatrix and we're not entirely sure. We got it back, though, and I've got the bruises to prove it."

"Whose wand?"

"Well, it looks like Jason Evans' wand, but I don't know how that's possible, since Jason's been dead for nearly a year. And we searched the prisoners when we first got them to the Ministry and again when we brought them here."

"Where's the wand now?"

Johnson reached into his robes and handed the want to Sirius. "And before you ask, Bellatrix has been stunned and bound. We think she was trying to figure out the charms to break out."

"I'd bet my badge that was exactly what she was doing," Sirius said darkly. "This is why only certain people know the charms and it's why we never say them aloud. You may not think those prisoners know what's going on, but they're watching for any sign of weakness from us." He looked over the other Aurors' shoulders through the tiny window of the maximum-security ward. "I'm going to send a few more people to help with guard duty. And I want those prisoners searched again. Use Secrecy Sensors. Give dear cousin Bella a few extra pokes for me while you're at it." The other wizards grinned. "Owl me if you have any trouble."

"Sure thing, boss," Proudfoot said.

Sirius looked around again and shivered. "I really hate this place," he muttered. "Alright, I'm leaving. If I get back to the Ministry now, I can probably make it to Hogsmeade in time for the wedding fittings."

"How's Lupin doing?" Johnson asked, walking Sirius out of the prison. "Is he getting nervous?"

Sirius shook his head. "Remus doesn't get nervous, and if he does, he hides it very well and pretends he's just fine."

Johnson chuckled. "Give him my congratulations, will you? He got himself the best woman in England, I think."

"Yeah, I heard you dated Emmeline for a month in school. What happened?" said Sirius.

The other Auror shrugged. "We didn't really have anything in common. I was into Quidditch, Emmeline was into books. We stayed friends, but being the idiot male I was, I dumped her for a blonde with blue eyes and big—"

"Sirius!" called a voice from the shore.

The Aurors turned to find Tonks rushing to meet them. "If you don't get back to the Ministry soon, I'm going to kill Scrimgeour," the witch said irritably.

"Have at him," Sirius said with a careless shrug. "It'll save me the trouble. But make it a clean murder; I don't want to be cleaning blood and junk off the walls for the next six months."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Don't tempt me," she said darkly. "Since when do you leave him in charge of giving out assignments? I asked you specifically for the investigation of those wizards holed up in that warehouse in London."

"And I gave it to you," Sirius said, his eyes narrowing. "And what do you mean he's handing out assignments? I left him the Amulet cases."

"Well, he's taking over, ordering everyone around, telling the juniors to get him coffee..."

Sirius growled. "Johnson, let Proudfoot know that Scrimgeour will be under his supervision for midnight guard duty for the next six months. Tonks, do whatever assignment you got and I'll deal with Scrimgeour. He'll be lucky to get a day off in the next five years..."

* * *

Remus, Harry, and Arthur stood in a row on top of short stools while two middle-aged witches took their robe measurements in Hogsmeade. Remus and Emmeline had decided on plain dress robes for the wizards. Remus didn't think his best man would react well to a Muggle tuxedo, and with his luck, Arthur would try and use his cummerbund as a hat or something.

"All right, dears," Madame Malkin said—she'd come from London specially to help the wizards get ready for the wedding. "Measurements are done, so you can relax now." Harry sighed, hopped off his stool, and sat on it. "You wanted black dress robes you said?"

"Yes, ma'am," Remus said with a smile.

Madam Malkin smiled back. "We'll just go see what we have, then."

The dress robes were the last thing that needed to be taken care of for the wedding; after this, all Remus had to do was meet Emmeline's brothers, something he was both looking forward to and dreading at the same time—he knew from what his fiancée had told him that her brothers could be a bit over protective at times. The only time he'd met a girlfriend's family was when he was with Naomi, and that had gone immensely well. Remus had known the Watts long before he and Naomi had started dating—whenever he'd go to James' during the summer holidays, more often than not, Naomi and her family would be there. Her parents had loved him. He only hoped meeting Emmeline's brothers went just as well.

"Everything alright, Remus?" Arthur asked quietly as Harry wandered away to look at the different robes in the shop.

Remus nodded and smiled. "Yes, just fine... I was just thinking about the dinner tonight with Emmeline's brothers."

Arthur chuckled. "Ah, yes, the meeting of the family. I remember when Molly introduced me to her brothers. Of course, Gideon and Fabian were a few years younger than we were."

"Were you nervous?" Remus asked, remembering quite clearly that the Prewett brothers had adored their brother-in-law and his obsession with Muggles.

"I was shaking so badly that Molly thought I'd put a Jelly-Legs Jinx on myself," Arthur said casually. Remus laughed. "But that dinner went just fine, and tonight, you'll see there's nothing to worry about. As long as Emmeline's brothers know how happy you've made their sister, they'll love you. And if by some stroke of bad luck they don't, I'm sure Sirius will take care of them..."

Remus grimaced as another thought hit him. "I forgot Sirius is going to be there. Apparently, Emmeline hasn't told them he's the best man. Not to mention the news that he's actually not a psychotic murderer wasn't the big news in America that it was over here."

"That will make for an interesting tea time," Arthur said grimly.

"Quite," Remus agreed. "And what's worse, Emmeline's oldest brother was a member of our DMLE when Sirius was arrested, so I'm sure the two of them will have much to talk about..."

"All right, gentlemen," Madam Malkin said happily, emerging from a back room. In front of her, she guided a rack of different styles of dress robes for the wizards to look at. Harry rejoined the other two.

"How about the ones with the frilly lace on the collars, Remus?" Harry grinned. Remus glared at him. "Or not," he said, completely unfazed by Remus' reaction.

The werewolf playfully clipped the back of the boy's head and examined a set of dress robes with silver fabric lining the cuffs. "What do you think of these, Arthur?" he asked.

Arthur smiled and nodded. "Very nice, I'd say. Does Sirius have any preferences?"

Remus shook his head. "He said as long as they aren't itchy, he doesn't care what we decide."

"I like these, Remus," Harry called from the other side of the rack. Remus and Arthur walked around to see what he was looking at. Harry was holding out the sleeve of a pair of dress robes that looked completely black, but had a blue tint when the light hit them just right.

"Ah," Madam Malkin said. "Those are favorites of the younger generation. The inside is lined in silk, so your friend won't have to worry about them being itchy." She smiled. "They're a little more expensive than the others, but they're handmade and well worth it, in my opinion."

_Of course they're well worth it, _Remus thought to himself._ You probably made them..._ "How much more expensive?" he asked a bit cautiously. He and Emmeline hadn't really set a budget for the wedding, but he would rather not empty out his savings on it. Remus could only blink as the witch showed him the price tag. A bit more expensive seemed to mean that these dress robes were five hundred galleons more than the others. "They are nice, but a little out of our price range," Remus said as kindly as possible. "Now the silver ones..."

"Aren't as nice as the blue ones," Harry hissed in his ear.

"Harry," Remus said under his breath, "I'm not spending thousands of galleons on dress robes. I've worked far too hard for what I have, and there are far more important things to spend my gold on."

Harry rolled his eyes but remained silent as Remus and Madam Malkin discussed the other robes. Just as Remus was telling the two witches to go ahead and prepare three sets of the silver robes, the tinkling bell over the door sounded and Harry called out, "Sirius!"

"Hey, boys, sorry I'm late," the Auror said with a grin. "Have I missed the fun?"

"Well, we've already gotten our measurements, but—" Remus was cut off as Harry pulled his godfather back to the rack of dress robes.

"Don't you think Remus would look brilliant in these, Sirius?" the boy was saying.

Remus sighed in exasperation and glanced at Arthur whose lips were twitching. "They are nice, Remus," the older wizard said quietly and very unhelpfully.

"We're not getting those robes," Remus said to nobody in particular. "We're getting the ones on the counter, and that's the end of it."

But Sirius wasn't listening. He'd taken the robes off the hanger and walked over to his best friend, holding them over the werewolf's frame. "These are better," the Auror said simply. "Why can't we have these?"

"Because they're too expensive," Remus said through gritted teeth.

"Don't worry about it, then; I'll buy them. We'll take four of these," Sirius said to the now beaming witches.

Remus closed his eyes tightly. "Sirius, did you even look at the price?"

Sirius shrugged. "Yeah, so?"

"You can't spend that much."

"Sure I can. I'm the best man, and I can do whatever I please. And it would please me to buy these robes."

Remus shook his head, glaring at Sirius as Madam Malkin pulled him aside to take his measurements. "Wipe that look off your face," he snapped at Harry's smug smile.

The boy raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so angry? Sirius and I just want you to have the best wedding and these are the best robes in the country."

The older wizard sighed. "I appreciate that, but..." he trailed off, shaking his head. "Forget it." Neither Harry nor Sirius had ever had reason to be concerned about the level of their gold—both had enough to last until they were old and grey, and even then there would be more than enough to hand down to their great grandchildren.

Arthur patted him on the back. "Sirius has been trying to find something he could do for you for weeks. You're not going to be able to talk him out of this..."

"Yes, but he's got a baby on the way and his own wedding to plan. He shouldn't be spending all his gold on me," Remus argued, a blush creeping up into his cheeks. He never liked to feel like a charity case.

Sirius happily hopped off his stool ten minutes later when Madam Malkin finished his measurements, and ignoring the look on Remus' face, gave the witches his vault information. The four wizards left the shop and started up the road towards Hogwarts. Hagrid met them at the gates to let Harry in, and while the groundskeeper and Sirius talked about the wedding, Remus pulled Harry aside.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you back there," he said quietly. "I suppose it's just the nerves of meeting Emmeline's family, and the wedding. Forgive me?"

"Only if you admit the robes I picked out are better than the ones you wanted," Harry said with a grin.

Remus laughed and ruffled Harry's hair. "Fine, they are very nice. Now get back to school before I change my mind about you being a groomsman."

Harry rolled his eyes, knowing Remus would never do such a thing, and went back to the gates with Hagrid. "See you in a week!" he called to the other three wizards. "Good luck with Emmeline's brothers, Remus!"

Remus waved at him and turned to say goodbye to Arthur who was Disapparating back to the Burrow. He then gave Sirius Emmeline's address so they could meet up for dinner, but before Apparating to London, he looked down at the ground and muttered, "Thank you for the robes, Padfoot."

Sirius smiled widely and pulled him into a one-armed hug. "Anything for you, Moony, old man."

Remus winked. "See you there," he said before disappearing with a _pop_.


	27. Twenty Seven

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-Seven_

Emmeline glanced nervously at the clock for the fifth time in a five minute period, wondering when Remus and Sirius would be arriving. Her brothers were in the sitting room with Naomi, drinking coffee and munching from a tray of cheese and crackers. Their wives and children had decided to go for a bit of shopping around London before dinner. Emmeline was more than happy to hear this; Michael's wife, Arnessa, usually got on her last nerve within the first five minutes of a visit and Emmeline was already very much on edge. She only hoped Michael didn't say anything stupid to Remus, but the chances of that happening were about slim to none...

The front door opened and the witch sighed in relief as she heard Remus call out for her. She met him in the hallway with a grateful kiss and flattened the creases in his robes as she told him and Sirius that her brothers were just in the other room.

Remus smiled gently and took her shaking hands in his own. "Don't worry," he said softly, rubbing her knuckles with his thumbs. "Sirius and I will be on our best behavior tonight, you have our word. Right, Padfoot?"

"Huh?" the other wizard said dumbly, examining the family photos on the hallway wall. "Yeah, sure, whatever you say, Moony."

"It's not you two I'm worried about," she muttered under her breath. "Come on, then, let's get this over with..."

She led Remus by the hand into the sitting room where Michael was telling Naomi, who looked bored to tears, about his career.

Michael Vance had short black hair, which Emmeline was sure had been charmed to keep the grey out. He was tall and muscular, and had a slight arrogance surrounding him as though he thought himself better than the others in the room. Emmeline loved him to death, and knew him to be very caring towards his loved ones, but more often than not, he came off as rude to others.

Thomas was almost the exact opposite. He was built more like Remus; taller than his brother, but thin—he was not to be underestimated, though. His slightly longer black hair hung over his eyes and a pair of gold wire-rimmed glasses. Just by looking at him, one could tell he spent the majority of his days hunched over books indoors—his complexion was pale, but not as though he was sick. He had a calm demeanor about him that many had taken for granted when he was younger, but after those trying to bully him spent a few days in the hospital wing, they never bothered him again.

Emmeline cleared her throat and Naomi looked very relieved that Michael was interrupted. "Michael, Thomas, I'd like you to meet my fiancé, Remus Lupin. Remus, my brothers, Michael and Thomas Vance."

The two brothers stood and shook Remus' hand. Thomas smiled and said Emmeline had told them many great things about him. Michael gave Remus a stiff hello, but his eyes had found Sirius, who'd gone over to kiss Naomi. Emmeline bit her lip as she watched her oldest brother try and figure out who Sirius was. It didn't take long...

"I know you," Michael said sharply.

Sirius looked away from where he was caressing Naomi's belly and raised an eyebrow at the other wizard. "Do you?" he asked coolly.

"You're Sirius Black," Michael spat. "I was there the day you were captured."

Sirius slowly stood, his hand being held tightly by Naomi. "Congratulations. Would you like a medal?" he said coldly.

Michael turned to Emmeline. "We don't see you for five years, and you're in the company of murderers, Emma? Honestly, what would Father say?"

Emmeline glared at him, but Remus spoke up first. "Sirius is not a murderer. He was framed for the charges he was arrested on, and given a full pardon," he said coldly.

"And as for what Father would say," Emmeline said, "he would be damn pleased that the real murderer was caught and punished."

"Michael," Thomas said quietly. "You don't even know him. Give him a chance. If Emma trusts him, who are we to do any differently? Thomas Vance, it's a pleasure to meet you, Sirius," he added to the Head Auror with a handshake.

"Pleasure's mine," Sirius muttered automatically, still glaring at Michael.

Emmeline smiled gratefully at Thomas and pushed Michael down into the sofa. "Well," she said through the thick tension, "Remus, Sirius, would you like coffee?"

"Yes, I think I'll help you," Remus said quickly at Emmeline's pleading look. "Excuse us, please."

In the kitchen, Emmeline leaned against the counter, looking ready to cry. Remus slowly approached and took her into his arms. "Thirty seconds was all it took for my brother to start in on Sirius," Emmeline mumbled into Remus' chest. "This was a bad idea... I knew it."

"It's okay," Remus said quietly, rubbing her back soothingly. Inwardly, he wanted to go back into the living room and punch Emmeline's brother's face in, but he reminded himself he was trying to make a good impression. _My fist would make an excellent impression,_ he thought a bit maliciously. "Sirius can handle this. He's gone through it for years..."

"I'm sorry." She sniffed. "I should have told them earlier, but I was nervous about this as it was..."

Remus lifted her chin, wiped the few tears that dropped from her eyes, and kissed her softly. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure the rest of the night will go just fine."

Emmeline nodded slightly and sighed, wiping the rest of her tears from her cheeks. "We better get the coffee and get back in there before they decide to start a duel."

* * *

That night, Emmeline had prepared a large ham dinner with all the side dishes. As he ate, Remus was becoming more and more thankful that Emmeline's brothers and their families didn't live close to them. Not Thomas so much—Remus quite liked him and his wife Elizabeth. But upon meeting Arnessa Vance, the woman immediately looked down her pointed nose at his plain black robes—apparently she could smell that he wasn't nearly as rich as she and her husband. Emmeline's nieces and nephews had their own table in the kitchen while the adults gathered around a table in the dining room that had been enlarged so that the eight of them could sit comfortably.

Remus was very proud of Sirius' self control that evening. Though Michael continued to send suspicious glances at him through the night, Sirius kept his cool. But as Emmeline was serving dessert, Sirius found himself having a much harder time keeping himself from snapping.

"Ah, you made Mum's apple pie, Emma," Thomas said, delighted. "I haven't had this in ages."

"Yes, I thought you'd like that," Emmeline said, smiling as she passed a slice to Remus. "Our mother taught me to cook when I was in sixth year. Her cooking was really the only thing that kept her sane after our father passed away."

"How'd her father die?" Sirius muttered in Remus' ear, reaching for a plate.

Remus shook his head. "I don't know," he said under his breath. "She never told me..."

"So what do you do for a living, Remus?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm the Head of the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," Remus replied with a smile.

"Really?" Michael said, slightly surprised. Apparently he'd been under the impression that Remus was unemployed and living off his little sister. "I'd thought about going into Magical Creatures when I first joined the Ministry, but Rufus Scrimgeour—we've been friends for many years—he convinced me to join the DMLE." Sirius and Remus exchanged a glance. If Michael was friends with Scrimgeour, that was all the more reason to dislike him.

"Why did you want to go into Magical Creatures?" Naomi asked curiously, obviously trying to keep up friendly conversation. Nobody noticed Emmeline wince at the question.

"Well, after Father was murdered, I took it upon myself to catch the dirty beast that'd torn apart our family. Werewolf," he added as Sirius, Remus, and Naomi looked at him a bit confused.

Remus felt as though someone had reached into his chest, grabbed hold of his lungs, and was now squeezing them tightly. "A w-werewolf... killed your father?" he asked hoarsely, glancing at Emmeline who'd looked down into her lap.

"Yes," Michael said, also looking at his sister as though wondering why she hadn't told them the story. "When Emma here was only twelve, she, my father, our uncle, Thomas, and I went on our yearly camping trip before she and Thomas returned to Hogwarts. It was the full moon, but none of us thought anything of it. The monster came out of the woods as my father was putting out the fire for the night—he barely had a chance. My uncle and I heard the commotion, and stunned the monster, but my father was already gone."

Sirius looked from Remus to Emmeline with his jaw slightly open, his pie forgotten. "I'm very sorry to hear that," Remus said in forced calm. "I'm sure your father put up a very fair fight to protect his children."

"Michael has dedicated himself to hunting down and destroying as many of the filthy creatures as he can," Arnessa said, her American accent palpable, patting her husband's arm fondly.

Remus swallowed the large lump that had formed in his throat. "A very worthy cause," he said, his voice still very hoarse. "I think I'll go get some more coffee. Emmeline, would you care to help me?"

"Of course, dear," she said quietly, unable to look any of them in the eye as she and Remus made their way to the kitchen. They bypassed the kitchen, however; Remus pulled her gently by the arm back into the hall and up the stairs to her bedroom, without a single word. Once the door was closed, he spun around to find his beloved fiancée sitting on the bed.

"Why didn't you tell me this?" he asked quietly, unable to keep the hurt out of his voice.

She sighed shakily, tears forming in her eyes again. "I didn't think it was important."

Remus raised his eyebrows high. "You didn't think it was important to tell me that your father was murdered by a werewolf, and that your brother kills them for a living? I'm assuming he doesn't know what I am..."

"Look," Emmeline said, standing, "what happened to my father was horrible—I was there, I saw it happen. My brother thinks that by killing every werewolf he comes across, he's somehow avenging my father. I don't hold those kinds of grudges. I of all people should know that all werewolves aren't vicious killers—"

"Oh, so by marrying me you're proving a point?" Remus asked harshly, unable to stop himself.

"That's not what I said, Remus!" Emmeline yelled. "I don't care what you are! If I did, do you think I would have been living with you for the past year or sleeping with you? If I cared about what you are, do you think I'd be marrying you or discussing _children_ with you? If I cared that you're a werewolf, do you think I'd be introducing you to my family? God, Remus! From day one, I knew what you were—_I don't care_!"

Remus stared at her after her outburst, inwardly very relieved that his condition didn't have any effect on her; it had been one of the fears he'd kept in the back of his mind since they'd started dating. "I still don't understand why you didn't tell me," he muttered.

She took a deep breath. "My father was murdered, plain and simple," she said, calming down a bit. "Why should it matter who killed him?"

"Well, I could have better prepared myself for this if you would have told me." He sighed. "I think you were right; this wasn't the best idea after all."

Emmeline bit her lip. "You are referring to the dinner and not the wedding, right?"

"Were you?"

"Yes."

"Then so was I."

They smiled.

"Well, let's see if we can get past dessert without any bloodshed, then I say we go back to Number Twelve and have a drink or two... or five," Emmeline said, slipping her arms around his back and kissing his chest.

"Why is it," Remus began with a grin as he wrapped his arms around her, "that everyone around me seems to be an alcoholic?"

"I, sir, am no alcoholic," Emmeline said, looking up at him. "But if I don't have a drink soon, I may kill my brother."

Remus chuckled and bent his head to kiss her deeply. "Sounds like an alcoholic to me," he muttered when they broke apart for air.

Emmeline slapped his shoulder, but before she could reply, Sirius was thundering up the stairs, calling their names. "What does he want?" she muttered with a slight whine.

Remus opened the door and looked down the hall where Sirius was opening a linen closet, looking for them. "Wrong room, Padfoot," he said.

Sirius spun around. "Where's Emmeline?"

"I've decided I could no longer put up with her. I've disposed of her body in the laundry hamper," Remus said flatly. "Ow," he added at Emmeline's slap. "She's right here, what do you need?"

"Snape's here," Sirius replied.

Remus blinked few times. "_Severus_ Snape?"

"Do you know another Snape?" Sirius asked impatiently. "Yes, Severus Snape is here. He's asking for you, Remus."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Why me?"

"He's got your Wolfsbane Potion."

"But the full moon isn't for another three weeks!"

Sirius shrugged. "He said something about being out of the area. Dumbledore asked him to make it and bring it to you."

"He told you this?" Emmeline asked, her hands finding Remus' and holding them tightly.

"Well, actually, he told Naomi, but—"

"Did my brothers hear?"

Sirius nodded, raising an eyebrow at the question. "They were sitting right there, weren't they?"

Emmeline groaned. "I'm going to kill Severus."

"Can I help?" Sirius asked eagerly.

"Shut up, Padfoot," Remus muttered. "Well, it looks as though dessert just got shorter. We should go back down."

The trio took their time going back to the dining room and Remus told his best friend to keep a tight hold on his wand until he, Remus, was on the way back to Headquarters. Upon entering the dining room, Remus wondered if the night could get any worse. Mere coincidences and miscommunications had made the evening miserable.

Michael's face was furious as he and Snape turned to Remus, Emmeline, and Sirius. "Severus and I have been having a very interesting conversation, Emma," he said in what Remus assumed was supposed to be a threatening tone.

"Were you now?" Emmeline asked coldly, glaring daggers at Snape. The wizard looked quite pleased with himself as he examined his fingernails. "Thank you for your services, Severus, but your presence is no longer required."

Snape finally looked up and inclined his head politely at Emmeline, sending a very malicious glance at the Marauders. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Michael."

"You as well, Severus."

"Snape, get out before I curse you," Remus snapped.

Snape clicked his tongue, obviously trying not to smirk. "So violent, Lupin. One can only imagine how that temper of yours will affect a, ah, _marriage_."

"OUT!" Emmeline yelled.

Snape dropped a leather knapsack of Wolfsbane Potion flasks on to the table and went to the fireplace, returning to Hogwarts. Once the green flames disappeared, Michael looked back at Remus. "So it's true, then," he said nastily. "You're a... a _werewolf_?" he spat.

"Yes, it's true," Remus said calmly.

"And you," Michael said, turning on his sister. "You knew about this?"

Emmeline rolled her eyes. "Say what you want to say, Michael," she said in exasperation.

"How could you marry _filth _like this?"

"Remus is not _filth_," Emmeline said coldly. "He's an incredible man who treats me better than I've ever been treated. And nothing makes me prouder than knowing I'll soon be his wife."

Michael narrowed his eyes. "He's brainwashed you, hasn't he? Or have you been turned into a monster as well?"

"That's quite enough," Remus said firmly, holding out an arm to keep Sirius at bay. "Emmeline has never once been around me on the full moon—I would never allow it. And I would _never_ do anything to harm her, physically or otherwise. Now, as I said, I'm terribly sorry about your father, but it was not I who attacked him. So you can either accept that or not. And if you choose the latter, you can leave this house, and if you come to our wedding, I will have you arrested for trespassing."

"I'll have you know_, Lupin_, that I have many contacts in your Ministry. With a snap of my fingers, I could have you disposed of."

"While I'm sure that's true, I, too, have many connections. For example, I happen to be very good friends with the head of the Auror squads." Sirius stood at his full height, at least a head taller than Michael. "And I'm sure he's got plenty of room for you in the Ministry holding cells for threatening a head of department of the Ministry of Magic."

The only visible effect Remus' threat had on Michael was that his complexion paled very slightly. "I will not allow you to marry this beast, Emma," he growled.

"The last I checked, Michael, I was an adult, and so I will do as I please. I want you out of my home right now. Take your stuck-up family with you. I don't want any of you at my wedding if this is how you're going to treat my new family. And the next time your wife looks at Naomi as though she's so much better, I'm going to give her that nose job Thomas and I have been threatening for years." Remus had to bite the sides of his cheeks to keep from laughing. "I know for a fact, Arnessa, that you were pregnant with Anastasia well before you married my brother."

A snort from the table told Remus that Thomas was also having trouble keeping his laughter silent.

"How dare you talk to my wife like that, you tramp," Michael sneered. He raised his hand, prepared to strike Emmeline, but Remus was quicker—Sirius always did tell him he would have made a great Seeker. It'd taken Michael a few seconds to realize he'd hit the floor, but when he did, he could clearly see Remus standing over him, his normally calm blue eyes blazing.

Sirius didn't bother to cover his laughter at Michael's completely shocked face. His wife rushed over to see if Michael was okay. "If you _ever_ raise a hand to her again," Remus said to Michael, his tone deadly, "you'll see just what a werewolf can do when he's in a temper. Now, _get out_!"

Michael stood, feeling his tender, possibly broken jaw tentatively as his wife called for their children. "Thomas, are you coming?" he asked through gritted teeth, unable to move his mouth as he turned to his younger brother.

"Why?" the other asked with a raised eyebrow. "You're the one shouting out threats and trying to hit our baby sister. And I never heard Remus or Emmeline say _I_ wasn't invited." He looked at the couple. "My family and I are still invited to the wedding, right?"

Remus nodded, gently rubbing his already-bruising knuckles. "Of course."

"Well, that's settled then," Thomas said brightly. "See you at home, Michael."

Michael scowled at the lot of them before ushering his family out of the house. Once the door was slammed shut, Remus groaned loudly, his face twisted in pain, as he collapsed in an armchair. "I think I broke three knuckles."

Sirius couldn't stop grinning. "Moony, that was brilliant."

"Glad you think so, Padfoot. Make yourself useful, get me some ice," Remus said flatly.

"You've no idea how long I've wanted to do that, Remus," Thomas said, also grinning. "I have to apologize for my brother's actions. He does not speak for me or my family."

"Thank you, Thomas," Remus said, trying to smile through the pain in his hand.

Elizabeth offered to heal Remus' hand and he accepted gratefully. Meanwhile, Emmeline and Thomas stepped into the hall to talk, and both Naomi and Sirius were still grinning widely. Remus thanked Elizabeth heartily as he flexed his now pain-free fingers. When Emmeline reentered the room, she had tears in her eyes, but managed to smile at Remus when he asked what was wrong. "Tell you later," she muttered, kneeling beside his armchair and kissing him. "Thank you for defending me," she said quietly.

"I wasn't just going to let him talk to you like that. Or hit you," he said as though she should have known how he was going to react to Michael's threats. "Anyway, I only did what Sirius has wanted to do all night."

She smiled and kissed him again. "Well, we should probably get this place cleaned up and let my brother and his family settle in. I'll get the dishes started—"

"No, Emmeline, I'll do the dishes," Elizabeth said firmly. "You four just go on back to wherever it is you're staying and relax. No arguments. Go. It's the least I can do after seeing what Remus did to Michael."

Emmeline turned to her fiancé and grinned. "That was pretty great..."

Remus sighed, a smile playing around his lips. "I'm never going to live this down..."


	28. Twenty Eight

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-Eight_

_Dear Mister Lupin,_

_I will start by thanking you for your visit to the shop recently—I have not had many customers as of late due to the war. Again, I give my condolences for your cottage—I knew your father well, during the time he owned his bookshop; he was a good man. And I again give my congratulations on your upcoming wedding, of course._

_In reference to Mister Black's wand—I researched the beech wood and the unicorn from which I gathered the hair to make the wand; I found some rather interesting information that I appear to have overlooked when selling Mister Black his wand. It seems the beech tree that supplied the wood for the wand had somehow survived a rather horrible forest fire some years before, which might possibly explain how the wand survived your fire._

_Unicorns, as you very well know, are quite magical themselves. The unicorn chosen for this particular wand—a full-grown, adult male—had unique powers, healing powers it seems, that are most uncommon to a unicorn. The conclusion I have drawn from this information is that the heat of the fire, though it had no physical effects on the wand, activated the healing powers of the unicorn hair, which would explain how Mister Black's powers returned so suddenly—if he'd been handling it, but not using it, as you said he was, the healing properties would have had more time to surround him, and whatever curse took his powers from him to begin with was countered. _

_I sincerely hope this information helps. I am going on a short holiday this weekend, to Ireland to visit my sons, but if you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me by owl at any time._

_Again, I congratulate you on your marriage—your mother and father would be quite proud of how you've turned out, Remus._

_With regards,_

_Ollivander_

* * *

Sirius snapped his head from the letter to Remus' broadly grinning face. "When did you go see Ollivander about my wand?" he asked.

"Few days after Christmas," Remus responded. "I was still upset with you, but Emmeline and I were in Diagon Alley, anyway—she wanted to return that book Dung gave her—" Sirius sniggered; Remus grinned, "—and my curiosity got the best of me. Since neither of us could find anything about what happened to you, we went to Ollivander to see if he could help."

Sirius nodded. "I still can't believe she traded that book for one on Magical Creatures," he said, still sniggering. "She could've given it to me..."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "And what would you have done with a book that... well, a book like that?" he asked. When Sirius' grin widened, Remus hastily added, "Don't answer that—I _really _don't want to know."

Sirius laughed at the blush creeping up his best friend's face. "So how're things working out now that Emmeline's wonderful older brother has departed?"

"Very well," Remus said, grateful for the change of subject. "Thomas has offered to give her away—Michael was supposed to do it, but you saw how that turned out..."

Sirius nodded again. "And the honeymoon... You never told me where you're taking her."

"Why should I?" Remus asked. "You'll just show up on the second or third night, and you'll never leave us alone."

"Do you have that little faith in me?"

Remus chose to raise an eyebrow rather than answer.

"Even if I wanted to bother you on your honeymoon, I couldn't; I've already taken too much time off work for this blasted wedding of yours. And then, of course, there's my wedding when you two lovebirds get back."

"About that," Remus said, frowning a bit. "Are you sure you don't want something more than a court wedding? I mean, just the Minister of Magic, Dumbledore, Emmeline, Harry, and me?"

Sirius nodded. "It's safer for Naomi that way," he said quietly. "If it's just the six of us, here in the Ministry, there's less chance of someone coming around and trying to hurt her. When all this is over, we can have something bigger, and go on a honeymoon and all that, but until then..." He shrugged.

"It is safest, I suppose." Remus sighed. "But you deserve much more."

Sirius smiled at him. "Thanks, Remus."

Remus smiled back and winked. "When's Naomi's next appointment with the Healers?"

Sirius looked at his watch. "In about two hours," he said. "Did you know they could tell if it's a boy or girl this early in the pregnancy?"

Remus nodded. "My mum used to deliver babies in the Muggle hospital she worked at. Muggles usually can't tell until the seventh month."

"_Seventh_?" Sirius said incredulously. "Honestly, how do Muggles get along with out magic?"

The werewolf chuckled. "Are you two going to find out what you're having or do you want to be surprised?"

"Well, you know I hate surprises, though I don't think I'd mind this kind. Naomi wants to know, and since she's the one who has to lug the baby around for nine months, I think she'll get her way."

"Any preferences yet?"

Sirius shrugged. "Not really. I don't know. I wouldn't mind having a little girl. Boys can be a bit troublesome."

Remus rolled his eyes but smiled. "What about names? Have you decided on anything?"

"Nope. To be honest, I'm still in the shock phase of this I'm-having-a-baby thing. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled about it, but we hadn't even talked about having kids, and in seven months, we're going to have more to worry about than just whether or not Voldemort's trying to find Naomi."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, Emmeline and I will be there to help with anything you need," Remus said quietly.

Sirius nodded. "I know and I appreciate that more than you know, but it's going to be my responsibility to make sure this kid grows up right. What if I screw up?"

Remus smiled. "Have you screwed up with Harry?"

"Do I have to answer that?"

"Sirius, you'll do fine. I happen to think you've done a wonderful job raising Harry."

"Yeah, but you've been there every step of the way to make sure I'm doing the right thing by him—"

"And now you'll have Naomi," Remus said firmly. "You think she'll let you do something to damage this child?"

"No. But what if something happens to her? Voldemort's not just going to wake up one day and say 'Oh, she's suffered enough. I think I'll leave her be for the rest of her life.' She's not going to be completely safe until Voldemort is gone. And if what Dumbledore says is true, _that's_ not going to happen until all four of the other Horcruxes have been destroyed. And he doesn't even know what the bloody things are! And—"

"Sirius, stop," Remus said. Sirius closed his mouth. "Nothing is going to happen to Naomi so long as she stays in Number Twelve and doesn't leave without one of us. You and I both know that Naomi isn't stupid by any means—yes, she's done some stupid things, but we all have. She knows what kind of danger she's in, and if I know her at all, I know she will not do anything to put her child in jeopardy just because she's bored of the house. And nobody can get past the Fidelius Charm here, so long as Albus Dumbledore is alive—and before you even say it, I do not foresee Dumbledore dying in the next ten years."

Sirius closed his mouth again. "You're too smart for your own good sometimes. Did you know that?"

Remus only grinned. "I've been accused of worse things. But right now, I should be going—I know how eager you are to finish all that paperwork in your inbox." Sirius replied with a rude hand gesture. "I'll see you in a few hours."

"See you, Moony. Thanks for the talk."

"Anytime, Padfoot."

* * *

Tonks passed Remus on the way into Headquarters and after a few minutes of small talk about the wedding, she made her way to her cubicle to get started on a report for Sirius on a Death Eater she'd been tracking for a few weeks. Dumbledore hadn't thought it safe to try and infiltrate Voldemort's hideout so soon after the first attempt. He'd said the odds had been in the Order's favor that night, and he didn't want to risk getting anybody hurt because the Order had gotten just a tad cocky after Tonks' and Harry's missions.

"Hey, Tonks?" said a voice behind her. She turned and smiled, finding Chris Davies, one of the Aurors who'd qualified alongside her, leaning against the wall of her cubicle.

"Wotcher, Chris. What's up?"

Davies was frowning. "That man you were talking to... He's Black's friend, right?"

Tonks nodded. "Remus," she said. "He and Sirius have been best friends for years. Why?"

Davies looked over his shoulder and moved further into Tonks' cubicle. "Well, it's just that I heard Dawlish telling someone he's a... well, that he..."

The witch raised an eyebrow. "He's a what?"

"A werewolf," the wizard whispered.

Tonks blinked. "And?"

Davies shrugged. "Well, You-Know-Who's got all the werewolves on his side, doesn't he? And Lupin's head of a department in the Ministry, isn't he?"

"What are you getting at?" Tonks asked a bit heatedly.

"What if Lupin's on You-Know-Who's side?"

Tonks' wand was drawn and pointed at the wizard before he could even blink. "How dare you accuse Remus of something like that! He's done more good in this war than you could ever dream of doing, and if I ever hear you talking about him like that again—"

"TONKS!" Sirius roared from his office. He crossed Auror Headquarters in a few long strides and stood between the two young Aurors. Tonks lowered her wand. "What the hell is going on out here?" Sirius asked, looking from his cousin's furious face to Davies' relieved one.

"Nothing, sir," Tonks responded in a mutter.

Sirius raised an eyebrow and looked at Davies. "Well?" he said impatiently.

"We were just having a discussion, and it got a bit heated, boss," the younger wizard said. "It won't happen again." And he went back to his own cubicle. Tonks glared after him.

"The truth, please," Sirius said evenly.

Tonks plopped down into her chair, slamming her wand on her desk so hard that a few sparks shot from the tip. "Why do people have to act like that?"

"Well, if I knew what was going on, I could better answer that," Sirius said, sitting on the edge of her desk. "You want to come into my office?"

Tonks shook her head. "Davies was accusing someone I knew of doing something they'd never do in a million years."

"Someone I know?"

She shrugged.

Sirius sighed. "Tonks, I can't go over and hex him unless you tell me why I'm doing it. Who was he talking about?"

Tonks looked up. "Remus."

Sirius raised his other eyebrow. "Remus Lupin?" Tonks looked at him with her own raised eyebrow that silently asked _you know another Remus? _"What was he accusing Remus of doing?" Sirius asked.

"Joining Voldemort because he's a werewolf."

Sirius bit back a growl. "And where exactly did he get an idea like that?"

"Dawlish."

Sirius turned and looked around Headquarters, finding Dawlish immediately at the coffee pot. "I've been looking for a reason to put him in hospital for a few months. I think I've finally found one." He started to stand, but Tonks grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.

"If you do that, you'll get into trouble," she said. "Wait until you've left the Ministry, at least."

"You were going to hex Davies," Sirius said. "Why can't I hex Dawlish?"

Tonks grinned. "You can be worse than a kid sometimes, you know that?" Sirius glared at her. "Dawlish is always talking rubbish, Sirius. You should have heard half the stuff he's said since you've come back. I think he's still trying to get you back for embarrassing him in front of everybody that day you threatened to sack him and Scrimgeour."

"I should've done it too. They're both useless. All they've done is complain about how I run things around here."

"True, but if you walk over there and start hexing him, he's going to get you into trouble."

"Let him try," Sirius growled.

"Besides, don't you need to be meeting Naomi soon?"

Sirius' anger deflated. "Yes, but don't say that too loudly. I don't need the whole world knowing where she is and where we're going."

* * *

Harry, Ron, and Hermione—Hermione's hand held loosely in Ron's—left the Potions classroom and made their way to the Great Hall. The lesson they'd just had was the best one Harry could ever remember having. Slughorn had them all brew a weak version of Veritaserum, and the students who'd completed the task perfectly—Hermione among them—were allowed to test their potions on their classmates. Hermione had wanted to test hers on Ron, but couldn't; Ron was still taking Healing potions every morning due to a few complications from injuries he'd received during his time in Voldemort's hideout, and mixing those with Veritaserum could have had ill effects on him. So Harry had been the guinea pig.

At first, he'd felt a little lightheaded as the warm truth serum flowed through his veins, but after Hermione's first question ("Who put the finger-biting quill in my school bag yesterday?") something odd had happened. Though Hermione had concocted her potion perfectly, Harry was able to fight it off. When Hermione asked who he liked better, Ron or Hermione, he was able to say that Ron was a git, and of course he liked Hermione better. Ron was a bit hurt, but when he asked Harry if he would rather spend a week with Draco Malfoy or tear out his own eyes, and Harry answered Malfoy, the other Gryffindor realized what had happened.

"I don't reckon anyone could throw off Veritaserum like that," Ron said as they walked.

"It's happened," Hermione said. "Veritaserum isn't all that reliable, really. The drinker believes what they're saying is true, and it's possible to fight it off. But if the drinker is weak-minded, or just weak in general, the Veritaserum overpowers them, and then it really does work. And the Veritaserum we were using was quite weak..."

"That's how Sirius was found innocent, you know," Harry said, holding the door open for his friends when they reached the Great Hall. "They used full-strength Veritaserum, of course. But he'd been in Azkaban for five years with the dementors and lost most of his powers, so when Remus and Dumbledore went out there and questioned him, he was finally able to tell them the truth."

Hermione nodded and smiled at Ginny as they sat at the Gryffindor table. Harry didn't miss how closely she and Ron sat as he kissed Ginny hello. "I'm surprised someone didn't try to say he was using dark magic to fool the Veritaserum," Hermione commented as she scooped salad onto her plate.

"Rita Skeeter has," Harry said bitterly. "She's still convinced he's actually a Death Eater. Remus says she's just bitter because Sirius snapped a few of her quills in half when she's tried to interview him."

"Did you see that article she wrote a few days ago about Sirius having the Minister under Imperius?" Ginny asked. "She said that's how Remus got his job, because no sensible person would hire a werewolf to the Ministry, let alone as head of a department."

Harry rolled his eyes angrily. "Everyone says Remus is the best to head that department in years. Did you know he actually convinced some vampires they could get jobs? Yeah, there're one or two working overnights at the Leaky Cauldron now, according to Naomi, and it's all because of Remus."

"Yes," Hermione said, "but not everybody in the wizarding world is going to be convinced that Remus is harmless. We all know he is, because we've known him for years. But I'd bet there are a lot of people who don't want him in such an important position. They've all seen what some werewolves are capable of—" Hermione's voice broke and her eyes filled with tears. Harry looked down at his plate while Ron rubbed her back. "Anyway," she continued a few moments later, still sniffing a little. "I'm sure there are people who think Remus is as dangerous as those others, and no matter what anyone who really knows him says, they're going to talk about him."

"Well, I don't think it's fair," Harry said frankly. "Remus would never do to anyone what other werewolves have done. Not only does he have the Wolfsbane, but he locks himself in a room long before moonrise. And Sirius is always with him."

"Of course it isn't fair, Harry," Ron said. "But Remus has been dealing with idiotic people all his life. I just wish he was still teaching Defense. I liked his classes a million times better than Snape's."

"We all did," Ginny said. "Mad-Eye wasn't bad either, if you ignore the whole 'Constant Vigilance!' thing."

Ron snickered suddenly. "Remember when we were studying boggarts with Remus, and Neville's turned into Snape in a dress?"

Harry and Ginny laughed loudly and Hermione bit her lip to keep from doing the same.

"What's so funny, Potter?" asked a cold, drawling voice from behind him. "Have you finally gotten a good look at Granger's face?"

Harry whirled around to face Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. "No, I was laughing about the thought of how your father would act in Azkaban. Ron figures your dear daddy would cry when they shut the bars, but I thought he'd make it a few hours, then start screaming like a girl, begging them to let him out."

Malfoy pulled his wand out and pointed it directly at Harry's chest, but before he'd gotten the chance to speak a spell, a calm voice said, "Is there a problem here, gentlemen?"

Harry looked up at Dumbledore, his blue eyes piercing as they gazed at the two young wizards. "No, sir, no problem," he said, glaring at Malfoy.

"Excellent," the Headmaster said briskly. "Mister Malfoy, I believe your table is on the other side of the Hall, and if you don't move along soon, your lunch will grow stone cold."

With one last sneer from Malfoy to Harry, he, Crabbe, and Goyle moved to their table. Dumbledore wished the Gryffindors a pleasant afternoon and headed to the High Table, where McGonagall had been watching the goings on very closely. Harry turned back to his friends and started on his lunch as though nothing had happened. He knew that wouldn't be the last confrontation with Malfoy, but Harry found he didn't really care all that much. Judging by Malfoy's pale, slightly graying complexion, one hex from Harry and he'd been in the hospital wing for weeks.

* * *

In a small room at St. Mungo's Hospital, Sirius sat on a stiff wooden chair, his knee bouncing nervously, while Naomi lay on a hospital bed. They were waiting for the Healer to come in and begin the examination. This would be their second check-up since Naomi found out she was pregnant; though all they had really found out during the first was that, yes, Naomi was indeed pregnant, and she looked perfectly healthy. Today, the Healer would tell them how the baby was doing, and hopefully, if it would be a boy or a girl.

When Lily was pregnant with Harry, Sirius had teased James relentlessly about being nervous for these visits to the Healer. He wasn't sure if this was James' way of getting revenge, but Sirius now understood why his best friend always looked as though he was on the verge of being ill before leaving for the hospital.

What if something was wrong with the baby, something that could harm both it and Naomi? In the short month since Naomi announced she was pregnant, Sirius had become quite attached to the idea of being a father. He'd even gone so far as redecorating one of the rooms in Number Twelve. It'd taken nearly a month, but Sirius was able to transform the room from a dark, dingy place, to a bright, spotless nursery. But what if all that work turned out to be for nothing? And even if the baby was fine right at this moment, what if something happened in the next seven months, and Naomi somehow lost it? His fear must have shown on his face, because his fiancée took his hand in hers and squeezed.

"Are you all right?" she asked softly.

Sirius nodded slightly and turned to her, trying to smile. "Yeah, just letting my mind wander to everything bad that could ever happen to us," he said, placing his free hand on her still-flat belly. "How are you?"

She smiled and placed her other hand on his. "I'm good. Everything will be just fine, Sirius."

"I know," he replied quietly. "But you know me; when there's nothing else to do, I worry..."

She kissed the hand she held, but didn't have a chance to reply—a knock sounded on the door and Healer Ted Tonks entered, smiling. "Hey," he greeted them.

"Hey," Sirius said, a bit confused. "What happened to Healer Cavey?"

"Well," Ted said, sitting on a small stool, "I asked her if I could takeover. I thought you'd both feel a little more comfortable with everything that's happened if you knew your Healer."

Sirius smiled. "Thanks, Ted."

Ted winked. "How are you feeling, Naomi?"

Sirius only half-listened as Ted and Naomi talked about her morning sickness, diet, and daily routine. Ted knew about Naomi's former role as a spy for the Order of the Phoenix, so he told the couple about possible side effects that some of the curses that had been used could be. "I'm not trying to scare you," he said, looking at Sirius' and Naomi's faces. "I just want you to know the _very slight_ possibilities of something like a Cruciatus Curse can leave on a person. It's not very common at all for a child to have problems because his mother has been hit by a curse in the past. But if you were to be hit now, the possibility is very high that you could lose the baby. So I would highly recommend staying out of any situation that could cause something like that to happen—meaning no battles."

"No worries about that," Sirius said. "We're staying at Number Twelve indefinitely."

"Good," Ted said, nodding. "Do either of you have any questions?"

"I do," Naomi said quietly. "Are there curses that, though someone was hit with it months, even years ago, could still affect the baby?"

Ted nodded grimly. "There are a few. If you were held under Cruciatus for longer than ten minutes, that might definitely cause some damage. There are a couple of curses that show no physical signs for months, but begin to do things to the victim—make them very irritable, sometimes violent; it can cause hallucinations, that sort of thing—but if the victim is with-child at the time, her body will reject the baby, causing a miscarriage.

"I've also been warning all of my expecting couples that while the country is still at war, you should be very cautious of anything you eat or drink outside of your home. I've seen a few cases in which women have suffered what they thought was premature delivery at five months, but we found out later that they'd eaten out and ingested poisons used by Dark wizards to abort babies—" Naomi gasped; apparently, she'd never heard of that happening. "It's not pretty," Ted went on. "And the woman's chances of having another child somewhere down the line are cut to near nothing. And there are curses that can do the same thing. I've recommended concealment charms for my patients in the later stages of their pregnancy for when they go out in public. You just never know anymore."

"We caught a wizard a few years ago who was doing that sort of thing to women," Sirius said quietly. "Two of his victims lost their babies, and then died. One woman lost her baby and became so depressed that she killed herself before she could even tell her husband what happened. I guess she was afraid he'd be angry with her."

Naomi shook her head sadly. "That's horrible," she whispered. "Can you tell us how our baby is doing?"

Ted smiled. "I'd be happy to. I just need you to lift your shirt above your belly—"

Sirius moved his chair back a little so Ted could stand next to Naomi. The Healer told him he could stand on her other side if he wanted to watch. "Okay, this first charm is a basic one to be sure Naomi is in good health," Ted explained. He moved his wand from Naomi's head to the tip of her toes, and a thin white smoke emitted from the tip. "Excellent." He smiled. "Now, I'm going to do a charm that will tell us about your baby—its health, the stage of development, that sort of thing..." He traced a circle on Naomi's exposed belly, muttering a charm quietly. A few seconds later, a picture appeared at Ted's eye level. "Would you like to see your baby?"

The couple smiled and nodded eagerly. Ted touched a finger to the hologram to turn it so they could see closely. Sirius felt his heart melt as he laid eyes on the image. It was smaller than an apple, but Ted could already point out the beginnings of eyes, arms, and legs. With a tap of the Healer's wand to the picture, sound was added, and they could hear a rapid heartbeat.

"That's our baby?" Sirius whispered, completely entranced by the picture.

Ted smiled at the look of wonder on his face. "It is," he said softly. "Would you like to know the sex or do you want to wait and be surprised?"

"We'd liked to know," Naomi said quietly, a wide smile on her face as she stared at the picture with Sirius.

Ted preformed an incantation on the picture and the image glowed pink for a few minutes before fading back to black and white. "Congratulations, Sirius and Naomi, you will be having a baby girl."


	29. Twenty Nine

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-Nine_

At nearly three in the morning, only one light could be seen around Hogwarts castle. Most of the students and staff slept peacefully; a few were disturbed by nightmares, but still, they slept on. The only person awake at this hour was Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. He sat in the dimmed light of his office, a fire burning bright orange and yellow, with his fingers intertwined beneath his white beard. Of late, there'd been many nights when he found himself unable to sleep. Instead of retiring to the warm confines of his bed, he would sit in the high-backed chair in his office, his mind far too busy for such a late hour. It wasn't often that he truly looked his age, but at this moment, he did. He wasn't as young as he once was, and the lines on his face showed that in great detail.

It also wasn't often that he admitted to being worried. There were only a very select few who could always tell when something truly bothered him—Minerva was, of course, one of those few people; she knew him better than he knew himself at times. Remus Lupin was another who could read the Headmaster like a book. Though considerably younger, Remus reminded Albus of himself at that age. Remus had been one of the brightest in his year at Hogwarts, and to this day, Albus considered him among the more intelligent friends he had. If only he had stayed on as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher...

Remus was only part of the reason for Albus' late nights in his study. Eleven years ago, when Sirius Black had been released from Azkaban, Albus had known what would happen in regards to Harry Potter's living arrangements. He'd known quite well how Sirius felt towards his godson, and knew that Sirius would not have waited any longer than was necessary before inquiring about the boy. In the week leading up to Harry's change in residence, Albus had done everything he could to try and keep the boy safe. The protections from his mother's blood stopped being effective the very moment Remus and Sirius had led Harry out of his aunt and uncle's home. The two wizards were fiercely protective of their young ward, and either would have given their lives to save Harry. One of Albus' main concerns was that, one day, they would have to.

In the years following Voldemort's failed attempt to regain a body, though Harry's protection was still very important, with Lucius Malfoy and numerous other Death Eaters still on the loose, Harry guardians had allowed themselves a very slight reprieve in their constant worrying. However, it was only a matter of time, they'd known, before Voldemort finally succeeded in returning to power. During their eight-year wait, Albus had searched endlessly for a way to defeat the Dark Lord once and for all. He'd had a nasty feeling that Voldemort may have created a Horcrux or two—after failing to kill Harry, his body had been ripped away and he was left with almost nothing. But only after Harry's second year at Hogwarts was Albus' suspicions confirmed—Voldemort had created Horcruxes, and more than one. In the summer proceeding Harry's third year, Albus discovered a ring that he later identified as a second Horcrux. Then there was Slytherin's locket, which Sirius had found in a box of Julia Sedler's possessions. Currently, the locket sat on a small table with the ring. It no longer held part of Voldemort's soul—Albus had taken care of that the very same night he found out about it, nearly receiving a horrible injury to his hand, but saving himself at the last moment.

But the remaining Horcruxes were not what weighed so heavily on the Headmaster's mind. Severus had come to him a few days earlier and had given him some rather disturbing news. Albus had known for months now that Draco Malfoy had become a Death Eater. The Slytherin boy had been watched very closely not only by Albus, but Minerva, Severus, and Hagrid as well. More than once, Draco had been caught in places he wasn't supposed to be—twice Hagrid had found him on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and three times Minerva had seen him on the seventh floor, suspiciously close to the Room of Requirement. He'd claimed he'd gotten turned around and was only trying to find Professor Flitwick's office. But when Minerva offered to show him the right way, he claimed he no longer needed to see the Charms professor.

Voldemort had given Draco a new assignment, one whose deadline had been moved to three days from now. The mission must have seemed quite easy to Draco, because, according to Severus, he accepted it almost eagerly. Draco had been given the duty of "getting rid" of Harry Potter. Voldemort didn't care _how_ it was done, so long as it was done. Albus felt he could keep Harry relatively safe and for the past few months he'd succeeded. What truly worried Albus was the added portion of Draco's mission; Severus finally told Albus that Draco had been responsible for the near death of Remus by way of pure silver. Obviously that had failed, and now Draco was determined to reconcile his mistake. Albus believed the only reason Severus even told him about this was because Draco had included Emmeline Vance in his threat. It seemed Draco was planning on murdering the couple on their wedding day, according to Severus.

Now, most would think that this was nothing to worry about. After all, Remus and Emmeline were holding their wedding on Hogwarts grounds, and would have the majority of the Order of the Phoenix in attendance. The problem was that Draco was growing desperate, and desperate people tended towards desperate measures when time began to grow short. Dumbledore was more concerned with Draco's safety than that of Remus and Emmeline's—if the boy dared to attempt something at the wedding, Sirius would not hesitate to curse him and take him to the Ministry's holding cells. And chances were quite high that Draco would not arrive to his eventual destination of Azkaban in one piece.

In addition to all this, the safety of Nymphadora Tonks and her family, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley and his family, was a priority. When Nymphadora had returned safely to Hogwarts the night of Ron's rescue, Albus had personally gone to her parents' home in Surrey to activate security wards to alert him of every visitor the Tonkses had, friend or not. The young witch had done the unthinkable—she'd captured Death Eaters directly from Lord Voldemort's hideout. The Dark Lord would undoubtedly seek revenge on her at some point, and Albus would not allow another death so long as he had the power to prevent it.

The Weasley family had already been subject to two Death Eater invasions on their home. Albus and Arthur had had a very long conversation to discuss what would happen next—Albus highly suggested the Fidelius Charm. He couldn't be their Secret-Keeper, since he had taken the duty of protecting Number Twelve, but perhaps Remus would be up to the task. Arthur wasn't against the idea, and when he and Molly discussed it, neither was she. But they wanted to wait until the Hogwarts term ended for the summer holidays. The Death Eaters and Voldemort didn't seem too bothered with the Weasleys when their children were away.

Unfortunately, there was no "easy" solution to Albus' largest concern—the concern plaguing every witch and wizard in Britain: The War. As Sirius very well put it one Order meeting, Voldemort wasn't going to wake up one morning and send an owl to the Ministry of Magic offering his surrender. He and his Death Eaters would not rest until they'd taken over completely, or Voldemort was finally gone for good. After Tonks and Harry very successfully infiltrated the Death Eater castle, Voldemort's ego had been injured—he was no longer untouchable by the Order of the Phoenix. For a week and a half, there had been no deaths or mysterious disappearances, but once the shock of what happened wore off, the peace had come to a very abrupt halt.

At some point, Harry would face Voldemort. That day could be ten years away or it could be that very next day. The boy's guardians had done very well in teaching him defensive techniques—both with and without a wand—but whether a wand would be of any real use in the Final Battle, not even Albus knew for sure. The Headmaster had a few thoughts on what could rid them of Lord Voldemort for good, but he'd yet to present these theories to Harry. After all this time, Dumbledore was still not willing to face the idea that Harry would indeed have to battle the Dark Lord. He knew it would be inevitable, but preparing Harry for the battle would officially make this nightmare a reality. But Harry was growing up rapidly and growing more powerful by the month. And when all was said and done, Albus Dumbledore had complete faith in the fact that Harry Potter would outlive Lord Voldemort and become the savior of the wizarding world once more.

* * *

Mad-Eye Moody limped through Auror Headquarters, making his way to Sirius' office, his magical eye spinning in every direction as it took in all the looks he was getting from the younger Aurors he hadn't trained. One of his gnarled hands clenched tightly around a folder containing information the Head Auror was sure to be very interested in.

Sirius and Tonks were chatting amiably when Mad-Eye knocked and entered without an invitation. He tossed the folder in front of Sirius and sat beside the purple-haired witch. "Wotcher, Mad-Eye," Tonks greeted cheerfully.

"'Lo," Mad-Eye grunted. "This just came through, Black. Thought you might want to skim through it."

"What is it?" Sirius asked, opening the folder.

"Three Death Eaters were sighted in Hogsmeade an hour ago by one of the villagers. Before anyone could be called out there, they Disapparated," Mad-Eye said as Sirius read through the report. "There were no magical traces of any kind that could tell us who they were."

Sirius looked up. "Did anyone get a description from the witness?"

Mad-Eye nodded. "It's all in there," he said, nodding to the folder. "She described one of them as looking very disoriented—"

"'Pale, with patches of brown hair missing from his head,'" Sirius read, "'Looks as though he'd lost a lot of weight in very short amount of time.' Well, I know who it sounds like, but why would the Death Eaters take Wormtail along to Hogsmeade?"

"No telling," Mad-Eye growled.

"It is possible for a person to transform to their Animagus form under Imperius?" Tonks asked.

Sirius nodded slowly, still reading the file. "But it still wouldn't do them much good; Wormtail's had the Dementor's Kiss. Unless there was a charm that could record what he saw or heard, he'd be no use sneaking around."

"Maybe that's what they're doing?"

"Maybe..." Sirius thought back over all the encounters he'd had with Wormtail since he'd received the Dementor's Kiss. Harry'd had a dream about him just after the Azkaban breakout; Order members had seen him in the Ministry of Magic, trying to get into the Department of Mysteries; he'd been used in a few attacks over the years... Why did Voldemort see the need to use a soulless wizard in his Death Eater army? What use has he been? Perhaps Remus would have a theory...

"Are you going to the wedding, Mad-Eye?" Tonks was asking.

"'Course," Mad-Eye said gruffly. "Someone's gotta keep Black from getting drunk and running starkers around the school."

"I'll have you know, Mad-Eye, that I haven't done that since fifth year," Sirius said with as much dignity as he could muster. Tonks and Mad-Eye raised their eyebrows at him. "James dared me." He shrugged.

Mad-Eye shook his head hopelessly. "You've been keeping an eye on that Johnson bloke, haven't you?"

Sirius nodded. "I've got a few people keeping an eye on him, and so far, he doesn't seem to be up to anything out of the ordinary. The Imperius Curse he was under was broken by the Healers."

"What about what Percy said, though?" Tonks said. "About Johnson telling him Voldemort needed him to write that note. Was he under Imperius then?"

"That's one of the things I had the Healers look into, and according to them, Johnson's got no recollection of ever talking to Percy before the night the note was planted," Sirius explained. "They did all kinds of memory countercharms and the only thing that even related to Percy was Johnson doing his rounds at Azkaban."

"That would mean someone else talked to Percy," Mad-Eye said. "And they set Johnson up."

"I was thinking that too," Sirius said grimly. "But I can't think of any of my Aurors that would have the gall to cross me..."

"What about Dawlish or Scrimgeour?" Tonks asked.

Sirius snorted. "Neither of them have it in them to join the Death Eaters."

"Isn't that what you said about Pettigrew?" Mad-Eye asked quietly.

* * *

Remus and Emmeline were curled up together on the sofa in the library, trying to get some much-needed rest. Molly had come to Number Twelve at exactly six o'clock in the morning, every morning for the past week to help them finish the last minute wedding preparations. Neither Remus nor Emmeline had slept well for the past few nights, and neither of them would admit to the other that it was nerves keeping them awake all night. The couple had been dealing with the excitement of their wedding just fine until Molly started rattling off everything that needed to be done. Emmeline was sure Molly wasn't purposely trying to put them on edge, but Emmeline really hadn't realized all the tiny details that hadn't been taken care of yet. And she wanted everything to be perfect. So she busied herself with things like seating arrangements and selecting music that would be played at the reception.

Remus had a completely different way of dealing with his nerves. He'd grown steadily quieter over the last few days, withdrawing by himself into the library for extended periods of time. Neither Sirius nor Naomi—who'd both known Remus practically all his life—could explain this new behavior to Emmeline. They said he hadn't been like this in the weeks leading up to his and Naomi's scheduled wedding, though Sirius admitted he hadn't really paid much attention to what Remus had been doing back then.

The Head Auror did have one theory that'd he'd kept to himself: He thought Remus was afraid that Emmeline would leave him just before their wedding, just like Naomi had. The chances of this happening were slim to none, but even Sirius' constant reassurances didn't keep the werewolf's mind from thinking of the worst-case scenarios.

The wedding was coming quickly, it was only a day and a half away now, and Molly insisted that the couple had to spend the night before apart. She and Arthur offered to let Remus and Sirius stay at the Burrow, and Molly would go to Number Twelve so that the witches wouldn't have to leave the safety of the Order's Headquarters. Remus hadn't been thrilled with the idea, especially after seeing Sirius' eyes light up like a kid's in a candy store. Emmeline had promptly warned Sirius that if her fiancé was so hung-over on their wedding day that he couldn't stand up straight, they would both pay dearly. Sirius promised only limited alcohol involvement and that Remus would be just fine for the wedding. But Remus still didn't want to spend the night away from Emmeline—the longest they'd been separated in almost a year was when he'd spent three days in Germany, and before that, they'd been apart for nearly two weeks while Emmeline tried to decide if she wanted to continue the relationship after the Naomi incident.

"You're going to have the rest of your bloody life with her," Sirius argued. "One night apart isn't going to kill you. And it's not like you'll be alone. Arthur and I will be there, and I'm going to try and talk Albus into letting Harry and Ron leave school for the night..."

When Remus still wasn't convinced, Sirius played the guilt card. "Look, in a month, both of us will be married. A few months after that, I'm going to have a daughter to look after. When do you think will be the next time you and I can have a boys' night out?"

Eventually Remus agreed, but not before making Sirius promise again that the night wouldn't involve anything too wild. Remus remembered quite well the bachelor party Sirius had thrown James; rather, he remembered the throbbing headache the next morning and the mess they'd made in his cottage—most of the actual party was nothing more than a blur.

Emmeline sighed softly in her sleep and cuddled closer against Remus. He tightened his grip around her waist, kissing the top of her head and inhaling the vanilla scent of her hair. There were moments when he wished he had a time-turner so he could back time up a week or so—everything was coming so quickly. But there were other moments when he wanted the same time-turner to skip forward in time to where the wedding was over, and he and Emmeline could start their life together.

He'd had slight worries that marriage would completely change their relationship, and not for the better. The few married couples he'd known had been much happier after their wedding—Lily and James, Molly and Arthur, Alice and Frank Longbottom—but he'd also seen couples who'd started to resent one another after their wedding. Many couples started to think they'd jumped into the decision too quickly and that the other spouse had somehow forced them into it. If one was to look back on Remus and Emmeline's year-long relationship with a cynical eye, they might say that the couple had been forced together by circumstance. They'd gone to France together and fought off Death Eaters, nearly getting killed in the process; Emmeline had no choice but to remain at Number Twelve while she recovered, and when Remus finally returned three months later, she'd stayed to help with his care; their attraction to one another had practically been inevitable due to all the time they'd spent together. True, Emmeline had left Number Twelve and Remus after finding out the wizard had kissed his ex-fiancée, but when she was injured in the St. Mungo's attack, Remus had begged her to stay with him, Sirius, and Harry at the cottage. And their relationship had gone from there.

But Remus wasn't the type to just fall in love on a whim. After his and Naomi's break up, he'd taken great care with his heart, and whom he would trust with it. Emmeline had been the first—and only—woman he'd pursued in nearly fifteen years. He was quite sure that Emmeline wasn't with him against her will or better judgment; she was quite independent and she wouldn't have wasted a year of her life with Remus, hiding from Death Eaters and Voldemort, if she wasn't deeply in love with him. That thought succeeded in comforting him somewhat.

Emmeline turned around in his arms, now facing him, and smiled, her eyes still closed. "Have you slept at all?" she asked quietly as her eyes finally opened.

He shook his head slightly. "Not really," he admitted softly. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep soundly until the wedding is over."

"Why's that?"

"Because after we're married, our lives can get back to normal."

She grinned. "When have our lives ever been normal, Remus? And I highly doubt anything will be 'normal' once Sirius and Naomi have their little girl. But I do think everything will be better than it has been."

Remus frowned slightly. "What do you mean by that? I thought things around here have gone fairly well, all things considered."

"It has been great," Emmeline agreed quickly. "I just meant life can only get better from here. Believe me, Remus, I am not at all unhappy with the turn my dull life has taken over the last year."

He traced a finger across her jaw line. "Good, because after Saturday, you're stuck with me until death do us part."

"What a tragedy," she muttered before kissing him.

* * *

That evening, after a long goodbye between Remus and Emmeline that Sirius had to eventually drag his best friend away from, the wizards Flooed to the Burrow. They'd only been there twenty minutes when the fireplace filled with emerald green flames and Harry and Ron stumbled out, grinning widely. The other Weasley boys had been invited as well, and arrived another half-hour later. Food was conjured and firewhiskey was poured—Ron and Harry were allowed half a glass each, and after that, they were stuck with butterbeer for the rest of the night.

To Remus' great relief, there'd been no surprise "entertainment"— the wizards spent most of the night talking about the women in their lives (apparently, Charlie and Tonks had gotten together a few months back without the witch's overprotective older cousin even noticing). Sirius provided many memorable moments from Remus' life that had the werewolf red in the face for a few hours.

At midnight, Sirius refilled everyone's drink and stood beside the armchair Remus had been in all night, raising his glass in a toast. "To the man I know I can count on through anything," Sirius began. "The bachelor world will miss you, Mister Moony, but judging by that glare on your face right now, you won't miss it one bit."

"To Remus!" Harry and Ron said in unison, grinning. The other wizards echoed.

"So tell us honestly, Remus," Fred said. "Are you looking forward to marriage?"

Remus smiled. "Very much so, actually," he said quietly.

"But won't you miss looking at all the gorgeous women England has to offer?" George asked with a sly grin.

"Well, I've got the most beautiful woman around—the others don't even compare to her."

Sirius rolled his eyes and feigned gagging. "Harry, if I sound like that before my wedding, slap me."

Remus looked at him. "You don't think you've got the most beautiful woman in the world?"

"Oh, I know I do," Sirius said, ducking Remus' slap. "I just don't want to sound as sappy and sentimental as you."

"Every man goes through it, Sirius," Arthur said wisely. "Whether you want to or not, when your wedding day comes, you'll sound just like Remus."

"Did you, Dad?" Ron asked.

Arthur nodded and smiled. "Oh yes," he said with a chuckle. "And when all of you boys fall in love, you'll know why," he added to his sons and Harry. Nobody noticed the soft smile on Harry's face.

"The best part," Remus said quietly, tracing the rim of his glass and staring into the amber-colored liquid, "is knowing I've finally found the woman I know I'll spend the rest of my life with. Naomi was my first love, yes, and that will always be there somewhere in my heart, but I love Emmeline on a whole different level. I didn't understand fifteen years ago that things happen for a reason—I didn't believe in fate. It took me this long to change my mind, and I'll never look back." Remus finally looked up and around him at his friends who were all smiling at him.

Sirius sat on the arm of the chair he was in, patted him on the back, and leaned down to kiss the top of his hair. "I'm proud of you, Remus," he said quietly. "It's not easy to move on from a broken heart, but you've done a hell of a job." He raised his glass again. "To Remus, may he finally know true happiness."

The others raised their glasses or bottles to the smiling wizard. "To Remus!"


	30. Thirty

_**Altercations**_

By Neurotica

_Thirty_

On a Saturday morning in mid-February, just past ten o'clock, the fireplace in the Hogwarts kitchens lit up with bright green flames and one by one, nine wizards stumbled out looking a bit blurry-eyed but otherwise perfectly undamaged. The house-elves had been informed that these wizards would be arriving and why—a few of the females dabbed at their eyes with their tea-towel-togas, while the males led the wizards out of the kitchens and down a corridor to the room they would use to prepare for the day.

"If Masters need anything, anything at all, Masters will call," one of the elder house-elves said rather sternly. "We is at Masters' service today."

"Thank you," Remus said a bit hoarsely, managing to smile at the house-elves as they bowed themselves out of the room and went back to the kitchen.

Sirius yawned widely and loudly, and looked around. The room looked like normal Hogwarts guest quarters without the beds—instead, there were added armchairs and sofas. A rack of dress robes had been delivered to the school by Madam Malkin and her cousin in Hogsmeade, and now stood next to the window. Remus and his groomsmen found their robes while the Weasley boys picked theirs off a second rack. Unbeknownst to the Weasleys, Sirius and Remus had bought them the robes they would be wearing that day—they'd thought the robes had been loaned to them by the two best friends, and hadn't yet realized that the robes would fit each of them perfectly.

It only took the wizards forty-five minutes to get dressed and groomed. Remus looked at his watch, noting with not a small amount of annoyance that they still had an hour and fifteen minutes until the ceremony began. His stomach felt like he'd eaten a bowl of flobberworms for breakfast and they were all trying to escape. He looked at the door, knowing that just down the corridor, Emmeline, who'd probably been in the castle for hours now, was getting ready as well. Sirius had taken it upon himself, the great git he was, to place a charm around the door so that Remus, and only Remus, couldn't get out and start wandering around. He was starting to dislike both Molly Weasley and her crazy wedding superstitions. It wasn't as though he wanted to steal Emmeline away from the wedding; he just wanted to see her for a few minutes, to see if she was as nervous and excited as he was.

"Do you want me to go check on her?" the best man asked quietly.

Remus turned to find Sirius' eyes filled with amusement and his lips twitching. He nodded. "Please?" he asked hoarsely.

Sirius chuckled and shook his head, patting Remus on the shoulder. "I'll be back then. Can I get you anything? A barf bucket or something?"

"No, I'm fine."

"You're definitely not fine, but you will be." Sirius winked and ducked out the door, leaving Remus wonder how he'd been both cursed and blessed with a best friend like Sirius Black.

* * *

Not too far down the corridor, Emmeline, Molly, Naomi, Ginny, Hermione, and Tonks still wore bathrobes while they did their hair and make-up. Much like her fiancé, Emmeline kept stealing glances at the door. Molly warned her very early on that she was not to go looking for Remus—it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.

"What if he changes his mind?" Emmeline asked Naomi quietly while the other witches busied themselves by looking at their simple gowns. "What if last night Sirius took him out to some pub and he met someone else, and decided he really doesn't want me?"

Naomi bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Well, then, you and I would first have to kill Sirius, then we'll hunt down Remus and kill him, slowly and painfully," she said matter-of-factly. "That would never happen, anyway. Remus isn't that kind of man. No, he's probably down the hall fussing over his hair and biting his nails while Sirius either makes it worse, or tries to make him feel better and in doing so, makes it worse." Naomi watched Emmeline heave a shaky sigh. "Look, Remus is insanely in love with you. There is absolutely no chance of him waking up this morning and deciding otherwise."

Finally Emmeline nodded and smiled. She opened her mouth to reply, but a knock on the door cut her off. All of the witches snapped their heads in that direction, and Naomi had to push Emmeline by her shoulders back into her chair to keep her from sprinting to the door. "Who's there?" Molly asked sharply.

"The best man!" a voice called back.

"What is he doing here?" Molly asked in exasperation. "Are you alone?"

"Well, I've got my imaginary leprechaun friend Toby on my shoulder, but other than that, I'm alone."

The witches turned and raised their eyebrows at Naomi who sighed and closed her eyes. She had to wonder when it was exactly that she'd lost her sanity, and consequently, agreed to marry Sirius Black. "What do you want, Sirius?" she called.

"I've been sent to check on Emmeline," he said. "Remus seems to think she's run out on him or something."

Molly nodded her permission and Tonks opened the door to allow her cousin's entrance. "Nice dresses, ladies," he said, looking around. "Who picked them out, then?"

"They're bathrobes, idiot," Naomi said as he approached and kissed her.

"Ah, so they are. Well, I wasn't aware this wedding was so casual or I'd have worn my boxers with the yellow duckies on them." He grinned.

Emmeline glared at him. "How's Remus? Honestly?"

"Well, last I saw him, he was huddled over the toilet nursing a hangover, and—OW!" he said as Naomi punched him in the arm. Rubbing his arm, he answered honestly, "He's fine. A little anxious, but he's got his robes on, and now he's just waiting."

Emmeline nodded.

"You've got nothing to worry about, so don't," he said quietly, kneeling in front of her. "All he could talk about last night was you. Got a bit irritating, actually. Couldn't concentrate on that stripper in my lap at all. " She laughed a little and he smiled. Naomi excused herself from the pair when Sirius gave her a look, which silently but politely asked if he and Emmeline could have a moment.

"I was actually hoping to talk to you before the wedding, and I think this may be the best and only time I'll get the chance," Sirius told Emmeline quietly. She looked at him in question; for once, his voice held no trace of humor in it. "I wanted to thank you, Emmeline. You may or may not know this, but you've made my best friend the happiest he's ever been in his life. He's never looked at anyone the way he does you, and the way his eyes light up when you walk into a room, or laugh, or smile, or even just look at him... It's amazing, Emmeline. And you've no idea what it means to me that you've stuck with him, even after seeing what our lives are like. You became an unofficial member of this family when you came back from France. Today, it will be official—finally—and before I go back to tell Remus you haven't run off on him, I want to welcome you to our family, and no, I didn't mean for this to sound as cheesy as it did."

She smiled, her eyes filled with tears. "It wasn't _too _cheesy," she teased. "Thank you, Sirius."

The wizard winked and leaned up to kiss her cheek. "See you in an hour, then," he said. "Have fun, ladies."

He gave Naomi another kiss before leaving. "What did you say to her?" Naomi asked, noting the soft smile on Emmeline's lips.

Sirius shrugged. "Tried to convince her to marry me instead of Remus. She didn't go for it, so I went with telling her all the usual gush people say on wedding days."

Naomi chuckled and kissed him again. "Well, whatever you said, it worked. She was talking about how afraid that Remus was going to ditch her."

"Never," Sirius said confidently. "But I really should go—Molly's glaring at us. Again. I'll see you in a few... Love you."

"Love you too," she said as he went out the door.

* * *

Remus' fingers were tapping in a rapid succession while his left leg refused to stay still. His eyes ought to. Ron and Harry were in a corner playing a game of cards, with Fred and George watching and giving them unhelpful hints as they went. Charlie and Arthur were straightening their robes and flattening their hair. And Sirius and Bill kept glancing at him, grinning and whispering. He longed to slap the grins off both their faces, but he wasn't sure his legs would support the long journey across the room. Ten minutes, ten very long minutes, before he could get outside and breathe in some much needed fresh air.

People had been in and out for the past hour to wish him good luck and offer him their congratulations. Minerva had only stayed a few minutes—she'd been dabbing at her eyes, claiming allergies. Emmeline's brother, Thomas, had stopped in as well to welcome Remus to his family and to tell him how great it was to see his baby sister so happy, then, in a very light-hearted voice, promised to tear his arms off if he ever broke Emmeline's heart. Remus had tried to reply, but his voice hadn't been working properly all day.

Remus had tired to imagine what Emmeline would look like in her dress, but since she hadn't even described it to him, he was clueless. She would look gorgeous, of course; she always did. In just a few hours, they'd be dancing their first song together as husband and wife. That thought put a large smile on his face.

Only two years ago, he never would have thought he'd be where he was today. He hadn't gone looking for love or someone to share his life with, but somehow, it had found him. Remus thought back to all the twists and turns his life had taken in the last months, and wondered idly how he'd managed to survive it all. Everything from Naomi, to France, to Emmeline, to Sirius, Harry, Voldemort, Greyback, the war in general...

Movements caught out of the corner of his eye made Remus turn his head. Sirius was attempting, with no success mind, to flatten Harry's hair while the boy sat glaring at him. Without them, his life wouldn't be near what it was now. He'd probably still be wallowing in his own self-pity. Or maybe he'd already have given up and put himself out of his misery. Sirius and Harry left him in little doubt that he was where he belonged.

The alarm on Ron's wristwatch chimed noon and Remus' head snapped his head in the redhead's direction, his eyes wide, his heart rate quickening. Sirius turned away from Harry, grinning widely.

"Well, what're we waiting for?" Sirius asked, clapping his hands together and rubbing them eagerly. "We've got a werewolf to marry off."

* * *

That day, most of the students had either gone to Hogsmeade or stayed up in their dormitories to play various games, so the Hogwarts grounds were mostly deserted. If any of them were to look out one of the many windows and strain their eyes considerably to the other side of the lake, they might be able to see a group of their professors and others congregated in a small clearing of trees.

Albus Dumbledore stood with his back to the lake, smiling serenely on the scene before him. Remus, Sirius, Harry, and Arthur stood on his left, looking magnificent in their robes. The groom was looking all around him, trying to spot his bride, but his best man kept pulling his attention away from the aisle to where they stood. The apprehensive feelings Remus had been subject to all morning had only intensified as the guests began to arrive. Andromeda and Ted Tonks sat in the groom's section, smiling and waving to the people they knew. Minister Bones had even found time out of her busy schedule to come witness the union of two of her department heads. Most of the Hogwarts professors had turned up, although Snape was nowhere to be seen, Remus noticed very gratefully. Hagrid stood in the back in a large, shaggy brown coat and his yellow and purple polka dot tie. He was dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief he'd knitted himself, and when he'd blown his nose, it had sounded something like a trumpet.

"I can't take this anymore, Sirius," Remus muttered. "Why isn't she here yet?"

Sirius turned away from the conversation he was having with Harry and put an arm around his best friend's shoulder. "She'll be here in a minute, mate, you have my word. Just keep your mind on what the two of you are going to be doing on your honeymoon tomorrow night, and you'll be okay."

Remus raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh yeah, that'll calm me down," he said sarcastically.

Sirius chuckled. "Remus, I saw her, I talked to her. She will be here. She is not going to leave you standing here looking like an idiot—"

"I look like an idiot?" Remus asked, looking down at himself in alarm.

"You look great, Remus," Harry cut in. "Never seen you look better than you do right now."

Remus gave him a shaky smile. "Thanks, Harry."

Harry winked and went to say something, but somewhere around them, music began to play. Remus tensed visibly, and for about thirty seconds he was sure he'd stopped breathing. He could finally see something in the dark, wooded path in front of him. It was Molly in her light blue bridesmaid dress. Remus could hear his heart pounding in his ears as Molly made her way to the front and gave him a smile. Ginny was next, and Remus vaguely realized he'd never seen her in a dress before—she looked quite lovely. He wanted to lean over Sirius to see Harry's reaction to his girlfriend, but couldn't get his muscles to cooperate. Naomi followed a short time later, and he heard Sirius' sharp intake of breath. Remus didn't blame him; Naomi looked absolutely stunning in her dress—it had been let out just enough so that it wouldn't be too tight around her belly, but just by looking at her, one wouldn't have been able to tell she was nearly two months pregnant.

Remus' breaths began coming to him in quick succession, giving him the feeling that he was going to hyperventilate any moment. Though he'd only been to a few weddings in his life, the last one being Lily and James' nearly nineteen years ago, he knew what came next. And sure enough, the music changed to the Wedding March, and Emmeline's niece Nicole started down the aisle, throwing white and pink flower pedals as she went. Behind Nicole was her brother Andrew who took over the position of ring bearer after Emmeline's other brother, Michael, was told he and his family were not welcome at the wedding.

Remus' heart stopped beating for a moment as he finally laid eyes on his bride. She looked like something out of his dreams. Her long white dress fit her perfectly in every way. It was simple yet elegant, and seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. Her hair was pulled back into a simple plait, with a few curled strands hanging on either side of her face. Around her neck, she wore a delicate chain with a small heart charm that Remus had gotten her for her last birthday.

"Sirius," he muttered weakly, reaching out for his best friend's arm, afraid that he was going to lose his balance on his weak legs. Sirius chuckled and held onto his arm as Thomas led his sister down the aisle. Remus wasn't even able to register that Hermione and Tonks were behind Emmeline, holding the back of her dress off the ground; in fact, it seemed that everyone else had disappeared. She was all he could see. Their eyes locked as she got closer, and he could see the look of pure joy and love in hers—he hoped his eyes were showing her the same.

Finally she was there with him. Sirius released his arm so he could turn to her and take her hands in his. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to speak but unable to get anything out. "You look... wow..." he eventually breathed. "I've never seen you more beautiful than you are right now, Emmeline."

She smiled, her eyes already filled with tears as her fingers rubbed across his knuckles. "Well, you aren't exactly looking shabby right now either, dear," she said quietly. He smiled wider and reluctantly turned his eyes from her as Dumbledore cleared his throat softly.

"You both look stunning," the Headmaster said quietly, his eyes twinkling and shining with what looked suspiciously like tears. "Shall we begin?"

The couple looked at one another again, smiled, and nodded. Remus squeezed his bride's hand again as Dumbledore began. "We are gathered here today to witness the union of two wonderful people..."

* * *

Sirius had a smile on his face that would not go away—not that he tried too hard to make it disappear. The looks on Remus and Emmeline's faces when they snuck glances at each other were nothing short of ecstasy. The Auror had a feeling neither of them was really listening to a word Dumbledore was saying, but rather were taking in the fact that this day had finally come, and very soon, they would be officially married. Sirius looked past the couple to where the bridesmaids stood, and found Naomi smiling back at him. He winked and mouthed 'I love you,' and she returned it, her own eyes looking very bright as she turned back to Remus and Emmeline.

"Do you have the rings?" Dumbledore asked, bringing Sirius back to the wedding.

"Huh?" he said stupidly as everyone turned to him. "Oh, right," he muttered. Remus tried to glare at him, but his lips were twitching uncontrollably. Sirius reached into his pocket and retrieved to gold wedding bands. He handed Remus Emmeline's ring, which was studded with tiny diamonds; then handed Remus' to the witch. She'd had it engraved on the inside to say 'All my love, forever.' He stepped back beside Harry who grinned and shook his head at his godfather. Sirius grinned back and shrugged. His intention was to turn back to Dumbledore, but movement at the mouth of the forest caught his eye. He could vaguely make out the silhouette of a wizard in black robes trying to remain hidden. It took Sirius a moment to recognize who it was, but when he did, he had to fight back the mixture of confusion and anger that welled up when he realized that Snape had dared to show up to the wedding.

"What's he doing here?" Harry said out of the corner of his mouth, noticing Snape as well.

"Don't know," Sirius replied in a whisper. "Ignore him." When he looked back a few minutes later, Snape was nowhere to be seen, much to Sirius' relief.

They turned back as Remus was getting ready to place the ring on Emmeline's finger. "You are the woman I've waited for my whole life, Emmeline. You are my love, my best friend, and now my wife. With this ring, I promise to do everything in my power to love, protect, and provide for you. I love you, Emmeline."

Emmeline sniffed a little as tears slipped from her eyes when Remus placed the ring on her finger and raised her hand to his lips. She held his left hand in her right, the ring in her left. "Remus, you've done more for me than I can ever tell you. I never thought that I would find anybody like you, but now that I have, I don't ever want to let you go. You're the man of my dreams and more; you're the best friend I've ever had in my life; you're my better half, my lover, my future. With this ring, I promise to love and support you for the rest of our lives. I love you."

Now Remus was crying through his wide smile as Emmeline slipped his ring onto his finger. They turned back to the Headmaster who smiled softly at them. "By power granted to me by the Wizengamot, I now, finally, pronounce you husband and wife. Remus, you may kiss your bride."

Remus didn't need to be told twice. Though they were both happily crying, the groom crushed his lips against his new wife's lips in a searing kiss. Around them loud cheers erupted, sending startled owls out of their trees and into the sky. It was difficult to determine who was louder that day, Sirius, Harry, and Naomi, or Hagrid. Together they drowned out every other sound in the area as the couple kissed. When they pulled apart, they were both smiling more widely than Sirius could remember seeing them. Emmeline took Remus' arm as they turned to the aisle and began to make their way to Hagrid's hut, where they would be having the reception. Sirius took Naomi's hand and followed with Harry and Ginny, and Arthur and Molly just behind them.

* * *

The inside of Hagrid's hut had been magically expanded and transformed to a fair-sized room, equipped with tables, a wooden dance floor, and a long table with a variety of foods. A large, three-tier cake sat on its own table with two small figurines that Sirius had charmed to look like Remus and Emmeline. Currently, the plastic pair was doing a waltz across the white frosting.

The bride, groom, maid of honor, best man, bridesmaids, and groomsmen all sat together at their own table, talking, as they waited for their food to be served. Remus and Emmeline hadn't let their eyes drift from one another for too long, and every few minutes, they exchanged a kiss without any prompting from their audience. Goblets of wine sat in front of every attendee over the age of fifteen, except for Naomi who'd been served sparkling cider, and Sirius waited only long enough for everyone to get settled before he stood.

"OY!" he yelled after trying to silence the large group by more subtle means. "Thank you," he said in his normal tone, grinning broadly. "As best man, I would like to thank all of you for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here today. I've been thinking about what I should say during this little speech for weeks, and everything I've come up with just doesn't seem good enough. So I'll keep this short, and mostly sweet." Remus and Emmeline rolled their eyes. "Remus, you are my best friend, my brother, and no one deserves this happiness more than you. And Emmeline, though I haven't known you nearly as long as Remus, I do know that you are a beautiful, kind, wonderful person, and I know that you will be very happy in your marriage. I raise my glass—well, goblet—to both of you in congratulations, and wish you all the best. To Remus and Emmeline!"

The others echoed his thoughts and he sat back down. Remus leaned over to give Sirius a one-armed hug. "Thank you, Sirius," he said.

Sirius inclined his head. "I wanted to say a lot more, but I would have been up here all day if I'd said everything I had planned in my head."

Remus chuckled. "What you said was perfect. I guess this means I've got to come up with something to say after your wedding, then?"

Sirius shrugged. "If you want," he said indifferently, though Remus could tell he really did want his best friend to make a speech at his wedding. "So when do we get to eat?"

"Is food all you ever think about?" Naomi asked from beside him.

Sirius turned to his fiancée. "No, I think about how much I love you in between meals," he said smoothly.

Emmeline laughed. "Nice save, Sirius," she said, grinning at Naomi's eye roll.

"I do try." Sirius winked at her.

* * *

Once everybody was fed and watered to their satisfaction, it was time for the newlyweds to have their first dance. They'd selected an old slow song by Celestina Warbeck and held each other close, staring into each other's eyes as they swayed to the music.

"You really do look spectacular in this dress, Emmeline," Remus whispered to her.

She smiled and leaned up to kiss him. "Thank you," she whispered back. "Can you believe we're finally married?"

He shook his head. "I never thought it would come. I swear, that clock in the guest quarters was broken—I was about to go mad, waiting so long."

She chuckled. "Same here. I wanted to come see you, but Molly absolutely forbade it. She said if I saw you before the wedding, our marriage would be doomed."

Remus snorted. "I couldn't even leave our quarters; Sirius charmed it so that if I tried, I'd get hit with boil powder. That's why I sent him to check on you."

"Did you really think I'd run out on you?"

He shrugged a little. "Stranger things have happened," he said quietly.

She pulled herself closer to him. "You never have to worry about me leaving you, Remus. I meant everything I said in my vows with all my heart. It would take a lot more than just one night away from you to break the love I have for you."

"I know," he whispered. "Old insecurities are just hard to break..."

"Well, I'm here to help you with that," she said, smiling softly. He smiled back and kissed her again. They didn't even realize their song had ended until Remus felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked behind him to find Sirius grinning broadly.

"May I cut in?" he asked.

Remus chuckled and looked to Emmeline for permission. She rolled her eyes, smiling, and nodded. "One song, Padfoot," Remus said sternly. "And I'll be watching."

"Yeah, yeah, get lost," Sirius muttered, grinning and putting his hands in the middle of Emmeline's waist, careful not to go too low.

Remus went back to the table where Naomi sat watching Sirius and Emmeline with a smile. "Hey, you," he said, sitting beside her. "How's it going?"

She nodded and smiled at him. "Pretty good. So how's it feel?"

"Being married?" She nodded. "It feels absolutely amazing," he said dreamily. "This whole day just seems like a dream to me, everything has gone so perfectly. It makes me wonder what's going to go wrong."

"Nothing will go wrong," Naomi said firmly. "The day will continue to go perfectly, and tomorrow, when you and Emmeline leave for Italy—yes, I know you're going to Italy; I saw the brochure in the desk drawer in the library last week," she added at Remus' surprised look. "Anyway, when you leave for Italy, you'll see that nothing has gone wrong. And don't start thinking about _when_ something is going to happen—this is your wedding day; you're supposed to think happy things, not about wars and attacks. Understand, Lupin?"

Remus chuckled. "Anything you say, Watts." He grinned. "How about a dance?" he asked after a few minutes of watching Emmeline and Sirius laughing together about something.

Naomi stared at him for a minute as though wondering if he was serious. Finally, she smiled. "Okay," she said quietly.

He smiled back and stood, taking her hand and leading her out to the dance floor. He slipped his arms around her waist while she rested hers on his shoulders. "Do you remember the first time we ever danced together?"

She thought for a minute and laughed. "Yes. Fourth year Christmas holidays, wasn't it? The Potters had that Christmas party and it'd taken you three hours to finally ask me."

He sighed dramatically. "Yes, well, it was either ask you to dance, or listen to James and Sirius tease me for the rest of the year. So five minutes of trying not to embarrass myself in front of my crush was a small price to pay to avoid that."

"You didn't embarrass yourself," she assured him. "And if you hadn't asked me when you did, I was going to ask you anyway. So either way, you would have been stuck dancing with me."

Remus chuckled. "I could have had far worse fates, I think."

Naomi smiled. "You know, I never thanked you for letting me stay with you guys. You of all people have more reasons than most to hate everything about me, but I'd like to think we're something like friends again."

"Yeah," he said softly. "Well, I wasn't just going to let you stay at Hogwarts where anybody could have gotten to you, especially after what you did for us at the cottage. I've forgiven you for what happened between us all those years ago, Naomi, and yes, I would consider us friends now. I think the main reason for that is what you and Sirius have. He really does love you, and I'm sure you'll recall how hard it was for him to even look at another woman after Julia died."

"He's come a long way," Naomi agreed. "All three of us have, when you think about it. When we met that first day on the Hogwarts Express, I never would have imagined anything that's happened. None of us have had the easiest lives, but I think we're doing pretty damn well, don't you?"

"Absolutely," Remus said, smiling and twirling her a bit, making her giggle. "And it can only get better from here."

* * *

Sirius noticed that Harry and Ginny had disappeared from Hagrid's hut. They returned just as the cake was to be cut, both of them fighting not to grin widely. The Head Auror raised an eyebrow at his godson, but the boy carefully avoided looking at his guardian. But Harry and Ginny weren't the only ones trying to get some alone time. Hermione and Ron had gone to get a crate of butterbeer from the side of the hut, and when they'd come through the backdoor, Ron's ears were bright red, and he had the dopiest look Sirius have ever seen on his face.

Bill and his girlfriend Fleur announced to a select group of people that they'd gotten engaged. Molly and Arthur were not yet a part of the group—Bill told Sirius confidentially that his mother wasn't too fond of the Frenchwoman. Charlie and Tonks spent the whole reception together dancing, eating, or just talking. Sirius wondered how he ever could have missed the signs that they'd been dating—it was so obvious...

Remus and Emmeline made their way to the cake amidst cheering and clapping. Emmeline picked up the knife and her new husband placed a hand over hers to help her cut the first slice. But the moment the knife slid into the cake, Remus furrowed his brow as he heard a quiet ticking noise from somewhere inside it. Before he could pull Emmeline away, the cake exploded onto the couple and hit those closest to them.

As Remus blinked frosting out of his eyes, he looked to see his wife, covered in bits of cake, grinning widely, her eyes dancing in mischief. "Did you do this?" he asked incredulously.

She burst out laughing. "Why would I do this? I really wanted that cake..." she said longingly. "You just look completely adorable with cake all in your hair."

Remus raised a frosting covered eyebrow. "Do I now?" Before Emmeline could escape, he captured and kissed her. "Mmm," he murmured when they broke apart. "That is good cake."

"Very good cake," she agreed, pulling him back to her for another kiss.

* * *

Once the wedding cake had been cleaned up, a few of the house-elves whipped up a few smaller cakes for the party. Naomi had her slice and went to find her fiancé. The Auror was laughing loudly with Harry, Ron, Fred, and George. "So which one of you was it, then?" she asked, her hands on her hips.

Sirius jumped and turned. "Sorry? Don't know what you mean, darling," he said, trying and failing to look innocent. She'd known him since he was five years old, and that look never fooled her.

Naomi rolled her eyes. "You just couldn't go one day without a prank, could you?"

"Oh, come on," Sirius scoffed. "I pulled much worse at Lily and James' wedding, if you remember correctly. Don't you remember the charmed dance floor that wouldn't let anyone dance anything but swing?"

The boys burst out laughing and Naomi's lips twitched. "Didn't someone break an arm that night?"

"Frank Longbottom, as a matter of fact." Sirius grinned. "He never forgave me for that..."

* * *

As the night wore on, and more wine was consumed, dancing partners changed faster than the songs did. By ten o'clock everyone had danced with everyone at least once. Some of the odder pairings that night had been Hagrid and McGonagall waltzing, Sirius and Remus doing a tango, Ted Tonks and his daughter teaching Mad-Eye the Chicken Dance, and of course, to top it all off, Dumbledore and Hagrid's boarhound Fang doing an odd ballroom dance. Naomi had made sure to get a picture of that.

When Emmeline's niece and nephew fell asleep on the floor around midnight, a lot of the guests called it a night. They congratulated the newlyweds one last time, and wished them a good trip on their honeymoon. Remus received a lot of sly winks from the younger wizards—Sturgis Podmore, all the Weasley boys, Harry, and Sirius, who didn't seem to stop winking at his best friend. Remus started to wonder if Sirius had gotten something in his eyes. Before the Hogwarts students in attendance went to back to the castle to get some rest, Remus promised Harry he and Emmeline would send pictures from their trip and would bring him back something nice.

Dumbledore instructed Sirius, Naomi, Remus, and Emmeline not to worry about the mess in Hagrid's hut. With a wave of the Headmaster's wand, the gamekeeper's home was back to normal. Hagrid gave the newlyweds his own congratulations that knocked the wind out of Remus and may have partially bruised Emmeline's ribs, but neither of them complained as Dumbledore led the four of them to the Hogwarts gates to Apparate back to Number Twelve.

"Thank you again, Albus, for everything," Remus said sincerely, shaking the Headmaster's hand.

Dumbledore waved him off. "It was an honor to host your wedding here, Remus. And Sirius, Naomi, if you ever wish to hold a second wedding later on, you are more than welcome to come to Hogwarts."

"Thank you, sir." Naomi smiled, putting her arm through Sirius'.

The Headmaster inclined his head. "Have a safe trip, Remus, Emmeline. I would not be too upset if I was to receive a postcard at some point within the next two weeks."

Emmeline chuckled. "Consider it done, sir," she said.

Once the goodbyes were exchanged, the four friends Disapparated from Hogwarts and arrived in Grimmauld Place. "This place doesn't even look that depressing anymore," Remus said, grinning, as he picked his new wife up. She squealed in surprise and Sirius, laughing, ran ahead to open the door for Remus to carry her over the threshold. Naomi started to enter behind them, but Sirius stopped her.

"May I carry you over the threshold, too?" Sirius asked huskily.

Naomi raised an eyebrow. "We're not married yet."

Sirius shrugged. "So? When did I ever go with tradition? We'll be married in two weeks, but I don't want to wait that long..."

Naomi laughed a little at the slight whine in his voice and leaned in to kiss him. "Yes, you may carry me over the threshold," she murmured against his lips.

He grinned and took her in her arms, kicking the door softly shut behind him once they entered, and following Remus' tracks to the drawing room. With Naomi still in his arms, Sirius cleared his throat loudly. "You're not on your honeymoon yet, kids," he called.

Remus and Emmeline pulled apart on the sofa only long enough to throw a pillow at Sirius. "Sod off, Padfoot," Remus said before going back to paying attention to only his wife.

* * *

The next morning just after sunrise, Remus and Emmeline had their bags packed and sitting next to the door before they were to leave on their two-week honeymoon. Remus had made her a large breakfast with all of her favorite foods, but they spent more time leaning across the table to steal a kiss or two than they did eating. By the time Sirius and Naomi finally wandered down, there was still enough food of satisfy even the Head Auror's never-ending appetite.

"We should be going, anyway," Remus said, glancing at his watch. "Hotel check-in is at ten and we want to do some sight-seeing today."

Sirius snorted loudly. "You mean you're actually going to leave your hotel room?"

"Well, we have to at some point, don't we?"

"No." Sirius grinned.

Emmeline smiled and rolled her eyes. "We've got two weeks to ourselves, Sirius, trust me, that's plenty of time."

"You two have to get busy making my daughter a friend to play with," Sirius said.

"Who says we haven't already started?" Remus grinned. Emmeline slapped him lightly in the arm. Chuckling, he put an arm around his wife's shoulder to steer her away from the kitchen. "Okay, we're leaving. We'll see you both in two weeks, then."

"Be careful and have fun," Naomi said tiredly.

Remus winked. "We will," he said slyly, causing Sirius to laugh. "See you, Padfoot."

"See you, Moony, Emmeline. Bring us back something nice!"

"Only if you promise not to blow the house up!" Remus called down the stairs.

The front door closed quietly and Sirius and Naomi turned to one another, smiling. "So we're alone for two weeks, something that has never happened to us," Sirius said huskily, leaning close to her. "What ever shall we do with our time?"

Naomi licked her lips. "I'll set up the chessboard if you load all this food onto a tray and bring it to the library," she whispered.

Sirius kissed her tenderly. "I knew there was some reason I loved you so much."

That day, the world was working in perfect harmony. For Remus and Emmeline, and Sirius and Naomi, the war wasn't still going on, Voldemort didn't exist, and there wasn't a chance of them not living to the next week. For once, they all felt one hundred percent normal, and though they knew it couldn't last forever, they knew how to enjoy it while it lasted.

End


End file.
